What are some best practices for handling data structures like SimpleXMLElement objects in PHP?

When working with SimpleXMLElement objects in PHP, it's important to properly handle errors that may occur when accessing or manipulating the data within these objects. One common best practice is to check if the object is valid before trying to access its properties or methods. This can help prevent errors and ensure the code runs smoothly.

// Check if the SimpleXMLElement object is valid before accessing its properties
if ($xml instanceof SimpleXMLElement) {
    // Access the properties or methods of the SimpleXMLElement object
    $value = $xml->element->subelement;
} else {
    // Handle the case where the object is not valid
    echo "Invalid SimpleXMLElement object";
}