What are the best practices for converting JSON data from an API into a PHP array for further processing?

When converting JSON data from an API into a PHP array for further processing, it is essential to use the `json_decode()` function in PHP. This function will take the JSON string as input and return a PHP array or object, depending on the second parameter passed to it. It is also important to handle any errors that may occur during the decoding process to ensure the data is properly converted.

// JSON data retrieved from an API
$jsonData = '{
    "name": "John Doe",
    "age": 30,
    "city": "New York"
}';

// Convert JSON data into a PHP array
$phpArray = json_decode($jsonData, true);

// Check for any decoding errors
if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
    throw new Exception('Error decoding JSON data: ' . json_last_error_msg());
}

// Process the PHP array further
foreach ($phpArray as $key => $value) {
    echo $key . ': ' . $value . PHP_EOL;
}