maintain API backward compatibility

When evolving public APIs, prioritize backward compatibility and avoid breaking changes to existing interfaces. Support both legacy and new syntax when standards evolve, and clearly document any deprecations.

Key practices:

• Preserve existing public API signatures even when internal implementation changes
• When new standards replace old ones (like import attributes vs assertions), support both syntaxes during transition periods
• Use feature detection and graceful fallbacks rather than removing legacy support immediately
• Add new functionality through optional parameters or separate methods rather than modifying existing signatures

Example from import syntax evolution:

// Support both new and legacy syntax
const importAttributesPlugins = ["importAttributes", "importAssertions"];

// Or use parser options to handle both
const keyword = property === "assertions" || node.extra?.deprecatedAssertSyntax ? "assert" : "with";

This approach ensures that existing code continues to work while allowing adoption of newer standards, reducing friction for API consumers and maintaining ecosystem stability.