What is the best practice for handling JSON data in PHP to avoid errors like getting a white website?

When handling JSON data in PHP, it is important to properly decode the JSON string using the `json_decode()` function and check for any errors during the decoding process. To avoid errors like getting a white website, make sure to handle any potential issues, such as malformed JSON data or encoding errors, by using error handling techniques like try-catch blocks.

<?php

// JSON data to be decoded
$json_data = '{"key": "value"}';

// Decode the JSON data and handle any errors
try {
    $decoded_data = json_decode($json_data);
    
    if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
        throw new Exception('Error decoding JSON data: ' . json_last_error_msg());
    }
    
    // Use the decoded data as needed
    print_r($decoded_data);
    
} catch (Exception $e) {
    // Handle any errors that occurred during decoding
    echo 'Error: ' . $e->getMessage();
}

?>