When working with databases that exchange data with other systems, ensure proper serialization and deserialization of data types like UUIDs, dates, or complex objects. System-specific representation differences can lead to data corruption, query failures, or incorrect results.

For example, when working with MongoDB and UUIDs:

# Specify UUID representation in connection string
mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/mydb?uuidRepresentation=standard

# For legacy UUID representations, use appropriate parameters:
# - C#: uuidRepresentation=csharpLegacy
# - Java: uuidRepresentation=javaLegacy
# - Python: uuidRepresentation=pythonLegacy

When joining data across different sources, ensure join keys have compatible data types:

Always document data type compatibility requirements in your schema design and provide conversion functions where needed to ensure consistent data handling across systems.