What is the difference between decoding JSON data into an object versus an array in PHP?

When decoding JSON data in PHP, the difference between decoding into an object and an array lies in how you access the data. Decoding into an object will allow you to access the data using object properties, while decoding into an array will allow you to access the data using array keys. Deciding which to use depends on how you plan to manipulate the data in your application.

// Decoding JSON data into an object
$jsonData = '{"name": "John", "age": 30}';
$objectData = json_decode($jsonData);

echo $objectData->name; // Output: John

// Decoding JSON data into an array
$jsonData = '{"name": "John", "age": 30}';
$arrayData = json_decode($jsonData, true);

echo $arrayData['name']; // Output: John