(compatibility)=
# Compatibility

```{rst-class} lead
Understand Wenmode's current project status, Python support, Markdown coverage,
and stability expectations.
```

---

Wenmode is currently beta software. The parser, renderer, rule composition, and
documented extension APIs are ready for real integration work, but the project
may still refine edge-case behavior and smaller public APIs before a stable
1.0 release. See {ref}`changelog` for release history and upgrade notes.

## Python support

Wenmode supports Python 3.10 and newer. The test matrix and package metadata
cover Python 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, and 3.14.

Documentation tooling currently requires Python 3.11 or newer because the docs
dependency group follows the supported versions of Sphinx and the selected
theme.

## Markdown coverage

The default `commonmark` preset targets CommonMark-style Markdown and includes
reference-style links and images. It does not include GitHub-flavored Markdown
extensions such as tables, task lists, strikethrough, extended autolinks, or
footnotes.

Use the `github` preset for GitHub-flavored Markdown features. Wenmode runs the
CommonMark and GFM spec fixture suites in its tests, but some extension behavior
is intentionally exposed as explicit rules rather than hidden global plugins.

Use the `streaming` preset when you need incremental HTML output. Streaming
disables syntax that requires document-wide deferred inline resolution, such as
reference-style links, reference-style images, and footnotes.

## Stability expectations

The high-level APIs documented in {ref}`usage`, {ref}`presets`, and
{ref}`custom-rules` are intended to be stable through the beta period:

- `Wenmode`, `Parser`, and renderer construction.
- Rule classes and configured rule instances.
- `Node.to_ast()` output for documented node types.
- Custom `BlockRule`, `ContinueRule`, `InlineRule`, and root transform shapes.
- `StateKey` and `BlockState.store` for per-parse extension state.

The project may still adjust undocumented helper functions, renderer formatting
details for non-HTML output, and edge-case parsing behavior where the current
implementation conflicts with CommonMark, GFM, or documented Wenmode semantics.

## Migration notes

Wenmode is not a drop-in replacement for Mistune plugins. The common
Markdown-to-HTML path maps directly to `Wenmode().render()`, but extension
behavior should be migrated by choosing a preset, adding or removing parser
rules, and registering directive renderers or custom renderers as needed.

See {ref}`recipes` for common integration patterns and {ref}`custom-rules` for
custom syntax.