Quick read from Ashley Allen on a handy PHP 8.3 feature: json_validate.

If you just need to check if a string is valid JSON, call the function and skip building arrays or objects. It is faster and uses less memory than json_decode when you do not need the data yet.

Example:

$json = '{ "name": "Jane","age": 28 }';

if (! json_validate($json)) {
    echo json_last_error_msg();
}

Ashley also compares json_validate to json_decode and reminds us not to parse twice. If you plan to use the data right away, json_decode is enough. If you only need to validate now and process later, json_validate is the better pick.

Good refresher for anyone handling large payloads, APIs, or user input in PHP.

Read more on ashallendesign.co.uk →

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• Understand usage and support for PHP 8.4 and beyond to stay updated
• Learn memory and performance improvements in PHP 8.3 relevant to json_validate
• Discover PHP 8.3 features, including json_validate, for a broader understanding
• Learn how to convert PHP arrays to JSON which relates to JSON handling in PHP
• Guide to safer coding practices with PHP's Enumerations complements JSON validation
• Deepen your PHP error handling skills, useful when working with JSON data
• Explore PHP serialization concepts to enhance handling of data formats like JSON