diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
index c217f2d..9d2020e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-cd.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: CI/CD Pipeline
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ main, develop ]
+    branches: [ main, develop, alpha ]
   pull_request:
     branches: [ main ]
 
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ permissions:
   contents: write
   issues: write
   pull-requests: write
+  actions: write
   id-token: write
 
 env:
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, '3.10', 3.11, 3.12]
+        python-version: ['3.10', 3.11, 3.12, 3.13]
     
     steps:
     - name: Checkout code
@@ -97,10 +98,12 @@ jobs:
     name: Semantic Release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [test, docker-test]
-    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    if: github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/alpha' || github.ref == 'refs/heads/develop')
     outputs:
       new-release-published: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new-release-published }}
       new-release-version: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new-release-version }}
+      version-changed: ${{ steps.version-check.outputs.version-changed }}
+      detected-version: ${{ steps.version-check.outputs.new-version }}
     
     steps:
     - name: Checkout code
@@ -129,18 +132,40 @@ jobs:
       env:
         GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       run: npx semantic-release
+    
+    - name: Debug release outputs
+      run: |
+        echo "New release published: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new-release-published }}"
+        echo "New release version: ${{ steps.semantic.outputs.new-release-version }}"
+        echo "Current branch: ${{ github.ref_name }}"
+        echo "GitHub event: ${{ github.event_name }}"
+    
+    - name: Check for version changes
+      id: version-check
+      run: |
+        if [ -f version.py ]; then
+          NEW_VERSION=$(grep -o '"[^"]*"' version.py | tr -d '"')
+          echo "version-changed=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "new-version=$NEW_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Found version: $NEW_VERSION"
+        else
+          echo "version-changed=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "No version.py found"
+        fi
 
   docker-build-and-push:
     name: Build and Push Docker Image
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: release
-    if: needs.release.outputs.new-release-published == 'true'
+    if: needs.release.outputs.new-release-published == 'true' || needs.release.outputs.version-changed == 'true'
+    outputs:
+      image-tag: ${{ steps.set-tag.outputs.tag }}
     
     steps:
     - name: Checkout code
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
-        ref: main
+        ref: ${{ github.ref_name }}
         fetch-depth: 0
     
     - name: Set up Docker Buildx
@@ -159,9 +184,20 @@ jobs:
         images: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE }}
         tags: |
           type=semver,pattern={{version}},value=v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }}
-          type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}},value=v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }}
-          type=semver,pattern={{major}},value=v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }}
-          type=raw,value=latest
+          type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}},value=v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }},enable=${{ !contains(needs.release.outputs.new-release-version, '-') }}
+          type=semver,pattern={{major}},value=v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }},enable=${{ !contains(needs.release.outputs.new-release-version, '-') }}
+          type=raw,value=latest,enable=${{ !contains(needs.release.outputs.new-release-version, '-') }}
+          type=raw,value=prerelease,enable=${{ contains(needs.release.outputs.new-release-version, '-') }}
+    
+    - name: Set primary tag
+      id: set-tag
+      run: |
+        echo "All tags from metadata:"
+        echo "${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}"
+        echo "---"
+        PRIMARY_TAG=$(echo "${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}" | head -n1)
+        echo "tag=$PRIMARY_TAG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "Primary tag: $PRIMARY_TAG"
     
     - name: Build and push Docker image
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
@@ -179,28 +215,7 @@ jobs:
         # Wait a moment for the image to be available
         sleep 10
         
+        echo "Testing image: ${{ steps.set-tag.outputs.tag }}"
+        
         # Test the published image
-        echo "# Published Test v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }} **success**" | docker run --rm -i ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE }}:${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }}
-
-  security-scan:
-    name: Security Scan
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [release, docker-build-and-push]
-    if: needs.release.outputs.new-release-published == 'true'
-    
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout code
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    
-    - name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner
-      uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
-      with:
-        image-ref: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}/${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE }}:${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }}
-        format: 'sarif'
-        output: 'trivy-results.sarif'
-    
-    - name: Upload Trivy scan results to GitHub Security tab
-      uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v3
-      if: always()
-      with:
-        sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'
+        echo "# Published Test v${{ needs.release.outputs.new-release-version }} **success**" | docker run --rm -i "${{ steps.set-tag.outputs.tag }}"
diff --git a/.releaserc.json b/.releaserc.json
index f35b4d7..307eaf2 100644
--- a/.releaserc.json
+++ b/.releaserc.json
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 {
   "branches": [
     "main",
+    {
+      "name": "alpha",
+      "prerelease": "alpha"
+    },
     {
       "name": "develop",
       "prerelease": "beta"
@@ -73,7 +77,9 @@
             "path": "CHANGELOG.md",
             "label": "Changelog"
           }
-        ]
+        ],
+        "failComment": false,
+        "failTitle": false
       }
     ]
   ]
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b49c084..e69de29 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-## 1.0.0 (2025-06-17)
-
-
-### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
-
-* Initial release
-
-### Features
-
-* initial implementation of Markdown to BBCode converter ([729af9e](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/commit/729af9ee1ce55d387327ee6c90f9a28698ccb6f5))
-
-
-### Bug Fixes
-
-* **ci:** add package-lock.json and enable npm caching ([9ca88a7](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/commit/9ca88a71e419c44ee4d30fc61a0cc9e44f532f96))
-* **ci:** add required permissions for semantic-release ([e607e1c](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/commit/e607e1c55246cb0439bb4f7bf007c792ef097179))
-* **ci:** remove npm cache from Node.js setup ([598acb1](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/commit/598acb153a6b7424632fd2f15423d5872b5a45c5))
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 53296f5..979ffa2 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -274,6 +274,112 @@ Brief description of changes
 - Assume good intentions
 - Keep discussions on-topic
 
+## Development Reference
+
+### Project Structure
+```
+md_to_bbcode/
+├── .github/
+│   └── workflows/
+│       ├── ci-cd.yml          # Main CI/CD pipeline with semantic-release
+│       └── pr-test.yml        # Pull request testing
+├── Dockerfile                 # Docker container configuration
+├── .dockerignore              # Docker build exclusions
+├── .gitignore                 # Git ignore patterns
+├── .releaserc.json            # semantic-release configuration
+├── package.json               # Node.js dependencies for semantic-release
+├── package-lock.json          # Locked Node.js dependencies
+├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies
+├── version.py                 # Version file (managed by semantic-release)
+├── md_to_bbcode.py           # Main converter script
+├── test_converter.py         # Comprehensive test suite
+├── sample.md                 # Sample Markdown file
+├── build.sh                  # Build and run script
+├── run_tests.sh              # Test runner script
+├── CHANGELOG.md              # Auto-generated changelog
+├── LICENSE                   # GPL v3 license
+├── CONTRIBUTING.md           # This file
+└── README.md                 # User documentation
+```
+
+### Advanced Testing
+
+#### Local Test Suite
+```bash
+# Set up environment
+python3 -m venv venv
+source venv/bin/activate
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+
+# Run comprehensive tests
+python test_converter.py
+
+# Run with verbose output
+python -m pytest test_converter.py -v
+```
+
+#### Docker Testing
+```bash
+# Build and test container
+docker build -t md-to-bbcode-dev .
+./run_tests.sh
+
+# Complete build, test, and demo
+./build.sh
+```
+
+#### Test Coverage
+The test suite covers:
+- All header levels (H1-H6)
+- Bold and italic formatting (both syntaxes)
+- Code blocks (inline and fenced)
+- Links and images
+- Ordered and unordered lists
+- Blockquotes (single and multi-line)
+- Horizontal rules
+- Edge cases and error conditions
+- Nested formatting combinations
+
+### CI/CD Pipeline Details
+
+#### Automated Versioning & Releases
+- **Conventional Commits**: Commit messages determine version bumps
+- **Semantic Versioning**: Automatic major.minor.patch versioning
+- **Automated Changelog**: Generated from commit messages
+- **Git Tags**: Automatically created for each release
+- **GitHub Releases**: Created with release notes and assets
+
+#### Testing Pipeline
+- **Multi-Python Support**: Tests run on Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12
+- **Pull Request Testing**: Every PR is automatically tested before merge
+- **Docker Testing**: Container functionality is verified in CI
+
+#### Release & Deployment
+- **Conditional Deployment**: Docker images are **only** published when semantic-release creates a new version
+- **Multi-Architecture**: Images built for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures
+- **Security Scanning**: Images are scanned for vulnerabilities using Trivy
+- **Versioned Images**: Each release creates tagged Docker images (e.g., `v1.2.3`, `1.2`, `1`, `latest`)
+
+#### Release Workflow
+1. **Develop** → Make changes with conventional commits
+2. **Push to main** → Triggers automated testing
+3. **Semantic Release** → Analyzes commits, creates version, tag, and GitHub release
+4. **Docker Build** → Only triggers if a new release was created
+5. **Security Scan** → Scans the published image
+
+### GitHub Repository Setup
+
+To enable automated Docker image publishing, configure these repository secrets:
+- `DOCKER_USERNAME`: Your Docker Hub username  
+- `DOCKER_PASSWORD`: Your Docker Hub password or access token
+
+The CI/CD pipeline will automatically:
+- Test all changes on multiple Python versions
+- Build and test Docker images
+- Run semantic-release for version management
+- Publish Docker images only on successful releases
+- Scan published images for security vulnerabilities
+
 ## Recognition
 
 Contributors are recognized in:
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 26d6517..37f8e3d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Use Python 3.11 slim image as base
+# Use Python 3.13 slim image as base
 FROM python:3.13-slim
 
 # Set working directory
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 44bba47..4981da5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,59 +2,44 @@
 
 [![CI/CD Pipeline](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/actions/workflows/ci-cd.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/actions/workflows/ci-cd.yml)
 [![semantic-release: conventionalcommits](https://img.shields.io/badge/semantic--release-conventionalcommits-e10079?logo=semantic-release)](https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release)
-[![Docker Hub](https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/halandar/md-to-bbcode)](https://hub.docker.com/r/halandar/md-to-bbcode)
+[![Docker Hub](https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode)](https://hub.docker.com/r/michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode)
 [![License: GPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-GPLv3-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0)
 
-A Python tool that converts Markdown formatted text to BBCode format. Perfect for migrating content from Markdown-based systems to forums, bulletin boards, or any platform that uses BBCode markup.
+A robust Python tool that converts Markdown formatted text to BBCode format. Perfect for migrating content from Markdown-based systems to forums, bulletin boards, or any platform that uses BBCode markup.
 
 ## Features
 
 - **Comprehensive Format Support**: Headers, bold, italic, strikethrough, code blocks, links, images, lists, quotes, and horizontal rules
 - **Flexible I/O**: Command-line interface with stdin/stdout or file-based input/output
 - **Dockerized**: Containerized for consistent deployment and easy integration
+- **Production Ready**: Comprehensive testing, automated releases, and semantic versioning
 - **Open Source**: GPL v3 licensed for free use and modification
 
-## Supported Conversions
-
-| Markdown | BBCode | Notes |
-|----------|--------|-------|
-| `# Header 1` | `[size=6][b]Header 1[/b][/size]` | H1-H6 supported |
-| `## Header 2` | `[size=5][b]Header 2[/b][/size]` | Progressive sizing |
-| `**bold**` / `__bold__` | `[b]bold[/b]` | Both syntaxes |
-| `*italic*` / `_italic_` | `[i]italic[/i]` | Both syntaxes |
-| `***bold italic***` | `[b][i]bold italic[/i][/b]` | Nested formatting |
-| `~~strikethrough~~` | `[s]strikethrough[/s]` | Complete support |
-| `` `inline code` `` | `[code]inline code[/code]` | Inline code |
-| `[link text](url)` | `[url=url]link text[/url]` | Full link support |
-| `![alt text](image.jpg)` | `[img]image.jpg[/img]` | Image embedding |
-| `- list item` / `* item` | `[*] list item` | Unordered lists |
-| `1. ordered item` | `[list=1][*] ordered item[/list]` | Ordered lists |
-| `> blockquote` | `[quote]blockquote[/quote]` | Multi-line quotes |
-| `---` / `***` | `[hr]` | Horizontal rules |
-
 ## Quick Start
 
 ### Using Docker (Recommended)
 
-1. **Build the image:**
+**Pull from Docker Hub:**
 ```bash
-docker build -t md-to-bbcode .
+docker pull michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode:latest
 ```
 
-2. **Convert a file:**
+**Convert a file:**
 ```bash
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data md-to-bbcode -f /data/input.md -o /data/output.bbcode
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode -f /data/input.md -o /data/output.bbcode
 ```
 
-3. **Convert from stdin:**
+**Convert from stdin:**
 ```bash
-echo "# Hello **World**" | docker run --rm -i md-to-bbcode
+echo "# Hello **World**" | docker run --rm -i michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode
 ```
 
 ### Using Python Locally
 
-1. **Set up virtual environment:**
+1. **Clone and set up:**
 ```bash
+git clone https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode.git
+cd md_to_bbcode
 python3 -m venv venv
 source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
 pip install -r requirements.txt
@@ -65,11 +50,30 @@ pip install -r requirements.txt
 python md_to_bbcode.py -f input.md -o output.bbcode
 ```
 
+## Supported Conversions
+
+| Markdown | BBCode | Notes |
+|----------|--------|-------|
+| `# Header 1` | `[size=6][b]Header 1[/b][/size]` | H1-H6 supported |
+| `## Header 2` | `[size=5][b]Header 2[/b][/size]` | Progressive sizing |
+| `**bold**` / `__bold__` | `[b]bold[/b]` | Both syntaxes |
+| `*italic*` / `_italic_` | `[i]italic[/i]` | Both syntaxes |
+| `***bold italic***` | `[b][i]bold italic[/i][/b]` | Nested formatting |
+| `~~strikethrough~~` | `[s]strikethrough[/s]` | Complete support |
+| `` `inline code` `` | `[code]inline code[/code]` | Inline code |
+| `[link text](url)` | `[url=url]link text[/url]` | Full link support |
+| `![alt text](image.jpg)` | `[img]image.jpg[/img]` | Image embedding |
+| `- list item` / `* item` | `[*] list item` | Unordered lists |
+| `1. ordered item` | `[list=1][*] ordered item[/list]` | Ordered lists |
+| `> blockquote` | `[quote]blockquote[/quote]` | Multi-line quotes |
+| `---` / `***` | `[hr]` | Horizontal rules |
+
 ## Usage Options
 
 ### Command Line Arguments
 - `-f, --file`: Input Markdown file path
 - `-o, --output`: Output BBCode file path (default: stdout)
+- `-v, --version`: Show version information
 - `-h, --help`: Show help message and exit
 
 ### Input/Output Methods
@@ -83,21 +87,21 @@ python md_to_bbcode.py -f input.md -o output.bbcode
 ### Basic Conversion
 ```bash
 # Convert sample.md to BBCode
-docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data md-to-bbcode -f /data/sample.md
+docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode -f /data/sample.md
 ```
 
 ### Batch Processing
 ```bash
 # Convert multiple files
 for file in *.md; do
-    docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data md-to-bbcode -f "/data/$file" -o "/data/${file%.md}.bbcode"
+    docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode -f "/data/$file" -o "/data/${file%.md}.bbcode"
 done
 ```
 
 ### Pipeline Integration
 ```bash
 # Use in a pipeline
-cat input.md | docker run --rm -i md-to-bbcode | grep -E '^\[.*\]' > filtered_output.bbcode
+cat input.md | docker run --rm -i michaelsstuff/md-to-bbcode | grep -E '^\[.*\]' > filtered_output.bbcode
 ```
 
 ## Example Conversion
@@ -150,139 +154,16 @@ with multiple lines[/quote]
 [hr]
 ```
 
-## Project Structure
+## Installation & Dependencies
 
-```
-md_to_bbcode/
-├── .github/
-│   └── workflows/
-│       ├── ci-cd.yml          # Main CI/CD pipeline with semantic-release
-│       └── pr-test.yml        # Pull request testing
-├── node_modules/              # Node.js dependencies (gitignored)
-├── Dockerfile                 # Docker container configuration
-├── .dockerignore              # Docker build exclusions
-├── .gitignore                 # Git ignore patterns
-├── .releaserc.json            # semantic-release configuration
-├── package.json               # Node.js dependencies for semantic-release
-├── package-lock.json          # Locked Node.js dependencies
-├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies
-├── version.py                 # Version file (managed by semantic-release)
-├── md_to_bbcode.py           # Main converter script
-├── test_converter.py         # Comprehensive test suite
-├── sample.md                 # Sample Markdown file
-├── build.sh                  # Build and run script
-├── run_tests.sh              # Test runner script
-├── test-release.sh           # Local semantic-release testing
-├── CHANGELOG.md              # Auto-generated changelog (created by semantic-release)
-├── LICENSE                   # GPL v3 license
-├── CONTRIBUTING.md           # Contribution guidelines and commit standards
-└── README.md                 # This file
-```
-
-## Development and Testing
-
-### Run Tests Locally
-```bash
-# Set up environment
-python3 -m venv venv
-source venv/bin/activate
-pip install -r requirements.txt
-
-# Run tests
-python -m pytest test_converter.py -v
-# or
-python test_converter.py
-```
-
-### Run Tests in Docker
-```bash
-# Build and run test suite
-./run_tests.sh
-```
-
-### Build and Test Everything
-```bash
-# Complete build, test, and demo
-./build.sh
-```
-
-### Test Coverage
-The test suite covers:
-- All header levels (H1-H6)
-- Bold and italic formatting (both syntaxes)
-- Code blocks (inline and fenced)
-- Links and images
-- Ordered and unordered lists
-- Blockquotes (single and multi-line)
-- Horizontal rules
-- Edge cases and error conditions
-- Nested formatting combinations
-
-## CI/CD Pipeline
-
-This project uses **semantic-release** for automated versioning and GitHub Actions for CI/CD:
-
-### Automated Versioning & Releases
-- **Conventional Commits**: Commit messages determine version bumps
-- **Semantic Versioning**: Automatic major.minor.patch versioning
-- **Automated Changelog**: Generated from commit messages
-- **Git Tags**: Automatically created for each release
-- **GitHub Releases**: Created with release notes and assets
-
-### Testing Pipeline
-- **Multi-Python Support**: Tests run on Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12
-- **Pull Request Testing**: Every PR is automatically tested before merge
-- **Docker Testing**: Container functionality is verified in CI
-
-### Release & Deployment
-- **Conditional Deployment**: Docker images are **only** published when semantic-release creates a new version
-- **Multi-Architecture**: Images built for both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures
-- **Security Scanning**: Images are scanned for vulnerabilities using Trivy
-- **Versioned Images**: Each release creates tagged Docker images (e.g., `v1.2.3`, `1.2`, `1`, `latest`)
-
-### Commit Format
-Use [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) format:
-
-```
-type(scope): description
-
-feat: add new feature          → Minor version bump (1.0.0 → 1.1.0)
-fix: resolve parsing bug       → Patch version bump (1.1.0 → 1.1.1)
-feat!: breaking API change     → Major version bump (1.1.1 → 2.0.0)
-docs: update readme           → Patch version bump (2.0.0 → 2.0.1)
-test: add unit tests          → No version bump
-```
-
-See [CONVENTIONAL_COMMITS.md](CONVENTIONAL_COMMITS.md) for detailed guidelines.
-
-### Docker Hub Repository
-Published images are available at: `your-dockerhub-username/md-to-bbcode`
-
-```bash
-# Pull the latest version
-docker pull your-dockerhub-username/md-to-bbcode:latest
-
-# Pull a specific version
-docker pull your-dockerhub-username/md-to-bbcode:v1.2.3
-```
-
-### Release Workflow
-1. **Develop** → Make changes with conventional commits
-2. **Push to main** → Triggers automated testing
-3. **Semantic Release** → Analyzes commits, creates version, tag, and GitHub release
-4. **Docker Build** → Only triggers if a new release was created
-5. **Security Scan** → Scans the published image
-
-## Dependencies
-
-- **Python 3.8+**: Core runtime
+### Python Requirements
+- **Python 3.10+**: Core runtime
 - **click**: Command-line interface framework
 - **markdown**: Markdown parsing (used for validation)
 
-## Docker Image
-
+### Docker Image
 The Docker image is built on Alpine Linux for minimal size and includes:
-- Python 3.11 runtime
+- Python 3.13 runtime
 - All required dependencies
 - Non-root user execution
 - Optimized for production use
@@ -303,42 +184,23 @@ See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for full details.
 
 ## Contributing
 
-Contributions are welcome! This project uses **semantic-release** for automated versioning.
+Contributions are welcome! This project uses automated versioning and semantic releases.
 
-### Quick Start
+**Quick contribution steps:**
 1. Fork the repository
 2. Create a feature branch: `git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature`
-3. Set up virtual environment: `python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate`
-4. Install dependencies: `pip install -r requirements.txt`
-5. Run tests: `python test_converter.py`
-6. **Use conventional commits**: See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for detailed guidelines
-7. Push to your branch and create a Pull Request
-
-### Commit Message Format
-This project uses [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/) for automated releases:
-
-```bash
-feat: add support for tables           # Minor version bump
-fix: resolve header parsing bug        # Patch version bump  
-docs: update installation guide        # Patch version bump
-test: add integration tests           # No version bump
-feat!: redesign conversion API         # Major version bump (breaking change)
-```
-
-### Release Process
-- **Automated**: Releases are created automatically based on commit messages
-- **Semantic Versioning**: Version numbers follow semver (major.minor.patch)
-- **Changelog**: Generated automatically from commit messages
-- **Docker Images**: Published automatically for each release
+3. Make your changes and test them
+4. Use conventional commit messages (see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md))
+5. Push to your branch and create a Pull Request
 
-For complete guidelines, see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+For detailed development setup, testing procedures, and contribution guidelines, see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
 
 ## Support
 
 For issues, questions, or contributions:
-- Open an issue on GitHub
-- Review the test suite for usage examples
-- Check the sample.md file for supported syntax
+- **Issues**: [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/michaelsstuff/md_to_bbcode/issues)
+- **Documentation**: Check the [sample.md](sample.md) file for supported syntax examples
+- **Testing**: Review the [test suite](test_converter.py) for comprehensive usage examples
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/test-github-setup.sh b/test-github-setup.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ae88d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-github-setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Test script to verify GitHub repository setup
+# This script should be run after pushing to GitHub
+
+set -e
+
+echo "🔍 Testing GitHub repository setup..."
+
+# Check if we're in a git repository
+if ! git rev-parse --git-dir > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "❌ Not in a git repository"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if we have a remote origin
+if ! git remote get-url origin > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "❌ No remote origin configured"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+ORIGIN_URL=$(git remote get-url origin)
+echo "✅ Remote origin: $ORIGIN_URL"
+
+# Check if we're on main branch
+CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)
+if [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" != "main" ]; then
+    echo "⚠️  Currently on branch: $CURRENT_BRANCH (should be 'main')"
+else
+    echo "✅ On main branch"
+fi
+
+# Check if we have the required files
+echo ""
+echo "📋 Checking required files..."
+
+required_files=(
+    ".github/workflows/ci-cd.yml"
+    ".github/workflows/pr-test.yml"
+    "package.json"
+    "package-lock.json"
+    ".releaserc.json"
+    "CONTRIBUTING.md"
+    "README.md"
+    "LICENSE"
+)
+
+for file in "${required_files[@]}"; do
+    if [ -f "$file" ]; then
+        echo "✅ $file"
+    else
+        echo "❌ $file (missing)"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+done
+
+echo ""
+echo "🐳 Checking Docker setup..."
+
+# Check if Docker is available
+if ! command -v docker &> /dev/null; then
+    echo "⚠️  Docker not found (install for local testing)"
+else
+    echo "✅ Docker available"
+    
+    # Try to build the image
+    if docker build -t md-to-bbcode:test . > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "✅ Docker image builds successfully"
+        
+        # Test the image
+        if echo "# Test" | docker run --rm -i md-to-bbcode:test > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "✅ Docker image works correctly"
+        else
+            echo "❌ Docker image failed to run"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "❌ Docker image build failed"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "🧪 Running tests..."
+
+# Run Python tests
+if python test_converter.py > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "✅ Python tests pass"
+else
+    echo "❌ Python tests failed"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "📦 Checking Node.js setup..."
+
+# Check if Node.js is available
+if ! command -v npm &> /dev/null; then
+    echo "⚠️  npm not found (needed for semantic-release)"
+else
+    echo "✅ npm available"
+    
+    # Check if dependencies are installed
+    if [ -d "node_modules" ]; then
+        echo "✅ Node.js dependencies installed"
+    else
+        echo "🔄 Installing Node.js dependencies..."
+        npm ci
+        echo "✅ Node.js dependencies installed"
+    fi
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "🎯 Next steps:"
+echo "1. Push to GitHub: git push origin main"
+echo "2. Check GitHub Actions: https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/md_to_bbcode/actions"
+echo "3. Configure repository secrets:"
+echo "   - DOCKER_USERNAME: Your Docker Hub username"
+echo "   - DOCKER_PASSWORD: Your Docker Hub password/token"
+echo "4. Make a commit with 'feat: initial release' to trigger first release"
+
+echo ""
+echo "🎉 Setup verification complete!"
diff --git a/test-release.sh b/test-release.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index cf59adb..0000000
--- a/test-release.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Local semantic-release testing script
-# Copyright (C) 2025 - Licensed under GPL v3
-
-set -e
-
-# Colors for output
-RED='\033[0;31m'
-GREEN='\033[0;32m'
-YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
-BLUE='\033[0;34m'
-NC='\033[0m' # No Color
-
-print_info() {
-    echo -e "${BLUE}ℹ️  $1${NC}"
-}
-
-print_success() {
-    echo -e "${GREEN}✅ $1${NC}"
-}
-
-print_warning() {
-    echo -e "${YELLOW}⚠️  $1${NC}"
-}
-
-print_error() {
-    echo -e "${RED}❌ $1${NC}"
-}
-
-# Check if Node.js is installed
-if ! command -v node &> /dev/null; then
-    print_error "Node.js is not installed. Please install Node.js to use semantic-release."
-    print_info "Visit: https://nodejs.org/"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Check if npm is installed
-if ! command -v npm &> /dev/null; then
-    print_error "npm is not installed. Please install npm."
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-print_info "Node.js version: $(node --version)"
-print_info "npm version: $(npm --version)"
-
-# Install dependencies if needed
-if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
-    print_info "Installing semantic-release dependencies..."
-    npm install
-    print_success "Dependencies installed"
-else
-    print_info "Dependencies already installed"
-fi
-
-# Show current version
-CURRENT_VERSION=$(python -c "from version import __version__; print(__version__)" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
-print_info "Current version: $CURRENT_VERSION"
-
-# Check what semantic-release would do (dry run)
-print_info "Running semantic-release in dry-run mode..."
-print_warning "This will show what would happen without making actual changes"
-
-# Set environment variables for dry run
-export CI=true
-export GITHUB_ACTIONS=true
-export GITHUB_REF=refs/heads/main
-export GITHUB_REPOSITORY=YOUR_USERNAME/md_to_bbcode
-
-# Run semantic-release in dry-run mode
-if npx semantic-release --dry-run; then
-    print_success "Semantic-release dry-run completed successfully"
-    print_info "Check the output above to see what would happen on the next release"
-else
-    print_error "Semantic-release dry-run failed"
-    print_info "This might be normal if there are no releasable commits since the last release"
-fi
-
-print_info "To create a test commit for releasing:"
-print_info "  git commit -m 'feat: add new feature' --allow-empty"
-print_info "  git commit -m 'fix: resolve issue' --allow-empty"
-print_info "  git commit -m 'feat!: breaking change' --allow-empty"
-
-print_warning "Remember: actual releases only happen on pushes to the main branch in GitHub Actions"
diff --git a/test_converter.py b/test_converter.py
index ee7d676..23e539a 100644
--- a/test_converter.py
+++ b/test_converter.py
@@ -303,9 +303,12 @@ def run_tests():
     # Create a test suite
     suite = unittest.TestSuite()
     
-    # Add all test cases
-    suite.addTest(unittest.makeSuite(TestMarkdownToBBCodeConverter))
-    suite.addTest(unittest.makeSuite(TestCLIIntegration))
+    # Add all test cases using the modern approach
+    # Note: unittest.makeSuite() was deprecated and removed in Python 3.13
+    # Using TestLoader().loadTestsFromTestCase() instead for compatibility
+    loader = unittest.TestLoader()
+    suite.addTest(loader.loadTestsFromTestCase(TestMarkdownToBBCodeConverter))
+    suite.addTest(loader.loadTestsFromTestCase(TestCLIIntegration))
     
     # Run the tests
     runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2)
diff --git a/version.py b/version.py
index 5becc17..a390618 100644
--- a/version.py
+++ b/version.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "1.0.0"
+__version__ = "1.0.0-alpha.1"