What potential pitfalls should beginners in PHP be aware of when using external APIs like blockchain.info?

Beginners in PHP using external APIs like blockchain.info should be aware of potential security vulnerabilities, such as exposing sensitive API keys in their code. To prevent this, it is recommended to store API keys in a separate configuration file or use environment variables. Additionally, beginners should validate input data from external APIs to prevent injection attacks. 

// Store API key in a separate configuration file
$config = include('config.php');
$api_key = $config['api_key'];

// Validate input data from external APIs
$input_data = $_GET['data'];
if (!is_numeric($input_data)) {
    // Handle invalid input data
}

Keywords

PHP external APIs blockchain.info authentication error handling

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