What are the advantages of using json_decode() in PHP to access and manipulate data from a JSON response?

When working with JSON responses in PHP, using the `json_decode()` function allows you to easily convert the JSON data into a PHP array or object, making it simpler to access and manipulate the data. This function helps in parsing the JSON response and extracting the necessary information for further processing in your application.

// Sample JSON response
$jsonResponse = '{"name": "John Doe", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}';

// Decode the JSON response
$data = json_decode($jsonResponse);

// Access and manipulate the data
echo $data->name; // Output: John Doe
echo $data->age; // Output: 30
echo $data->city; // Output: New York