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title: SDK Forward Compatibility
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# SDK Forward Compatibility

> For the full documentation index, see: https://docs.mulesoft.com/llms.txt

In traditional SDK development, each SDK version is strictly tied to a specific Mule runtime
version. Using any new SDK feature requires bumping the SDK version, which automatically increases
your module’s minimum Mule version (`minMuleVersion`). This forces application developers to upgrade
their entire Mule runtime engine just to use a newer version of your module.

Starting with Mule 4.11.0 and using the new `mule-java-extension-parent`, the SDK introduces forward
compatibility, which decouples the SDK version you compile against from the minimum Mule version
your module requires. This enables your module to offer new features for later runtimes while
continuing to support earlier runtimes with existing functionality.

## How Forward Compatibility Works

Forward compatibility relies on a new artifact: `org.mule.sdk:mule-sdk-api`. This artifact can be
bundled as a dependency of your module, unlike the traditional
`org.mule.runtime:mule-extensions-api` and `org.mule.runtime:mule-api`. The new artifact contains
all SDK annotations, interfaces, and classes, each annotated with the minimum Mule version it
requires.

When you build your module, the SDK tooling analyzes which APIs each component uses and calculates
the minimum Mule version for each operation, source, and configuration. This information is stored
in the Extension Model, making it available to design-time tools like Anypoint Studio and Anypoint
Code Builder. These tools can then filter components or display warnings based on the application’s
target Mule version.

## Benefits of Implementing Forward Compatibility

Forward compatibility provides the following advantages:

- Flexibility

  Introduce new features leveraging newer runtime capabilities while maintaining existing
  functionality on older runtimes. Application developers who don’t need the new features can
  continue using your module on their current runtime, while those who want them can target a newer
  runtime.

- Simplified maintenance

  No need to maintain separate module versions for different runtimes—a single release serves all
  supported Mule versions.

## Getting Started With Forward Compatibility

You can enable forward compatibility when creating a new module or by upgrading an existing one.

### Create a New Module With the Maven Archetype

To create a new module with forward compatibility enabled, use the Maven archetype:

mvn org.mule.extensions:mule-extensions-archetype-maven-plugin:generate

When prompted, select a parent POM version of 1.11.x or later. The generated project will be
configured for forward compatibility.

### Upgrade an Existing Module

To enable forward compatibility in an existing module, change the parent POM in your `pom.xml` to
use `mule-java-extension-parent` version 1.11.0 or later. See
[Upgrading Existing Modules](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/forward-compatibility-setup#upgrading-existing-modules) for detailed
instructions and considerations.

## Next Steps

- See [Setting Up Forward Compatibility](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/forward-compatibility-setup) for instructions to configure
  your project for forward compatible development.

- See [Working with Minimum Mule Versions](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/forward-compatibility-min-mule-version) to understand how
  minimum versions are determined and controlled.

- See [Forward Compatibility Patterns](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/forward-compatibility-patterns) to learn common patterns for
  writing forward compatible code.

## See Also

- [Choosing the SDK Version](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/choosing-version)

- [Module Structure](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-sdk/latest/module-structure)