What best practices should be followed when handling binary data in PHP?

When handling binary data in PHP, it is important to ensure that the data is properly encoded and decoded to prevent any data corruption or loss. One best practice is to use functions like base64_encode() and base64_decode() to encode and decode binary data respectively. Additionally, make sure to set the appropriate content-type headers when sending binary data over HTTP.

// Encoding binary data
$binaryData = file_get_contents('example.jpg');
$encodedData = base64_encode($binaryData);

// Decoding binary data
$decodedData = base64_decode($encodedData);

// Sending binary data over HTTP
header('Content-Type: image/jpeg');
echo $decodedData;