When should str_replace be preferred over regex functions like preg_replace in PHP code for string manipulation tasks?

str_replace should be preferred over regex functions like preg_replace in PHP code for string manipulation tasks when you are simply looking to replace a specific substring with another substring in a string. str_replace is faster and less resource-intensive than regex functions, making it more suitable for simple string replacement tasks.

// Using str_replace to replace a substring in a string
$string = "Hello, World!";
$newString = str_replace("Hello", "Hi", $string);
echo $newString; // Output: Hi, World!