What is the difference between using preg_split and explode in PHP?

The main difference between preg_split and explode in PHP is that preg_split allows for more complex patterns to be used as delimiters, while explode only allows for simple string delimiters. If you need to split a string using a regular expression pattern as the delimiter, preg_split is the better choice. However, if you only need to split a string based on a fixed string delimiter, explode is simpler and more efficient to use.

// Using preg_split to split a string using a regular expression pattern as the delimiter
$string = "Hello,world,how,are,you";
$parts = preg_split("/,/", $string);
print_r($parts);

// Using explode to split a string using a fixed string delimiter
$string = "Hello|world|how|are|you";
$parts = explode("|", $string);
print_r($parts);