What potential issues can arise when using json_encode() in PHP and receiving the response as a string instead of an array?

When using json_encode() in PHP and receiving the response as a string instead of an array, potential issues can arise when trying to access or manipulate the data within the JSON object. To solve this issue, you can simply decode the JSON string back into an associative array using json_decode() before working with the data.

// JSON string received from an API or external source
$jsonString = '{"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"}';

// Decode the JSON string into an associative array
$dataArray = json_decode($jsonString, true);

// Accessing and manipulating the data in the array
echo $dataArray['name']; // Output: John
echo $dataArray['age']; // Output: 30
echo $dataArray['city']; // Output: New York