What are the benefits of using json_decode() over explode() for converting strings into arrays in PHP?

When converting strings into arrays in PHP, using json_decode() is preferred over explode() because json_decode() can handle more complex data structures and nested arrays. It also provides a more standardized and reliable way of converting JSON strings into PHP arrays.

// Using json_decode() to convert a JSON string into a PHP array
$jsonString = '{"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}';
$arrayData = json_decode($jsonString, true);

print_r($arrayData);