refactor(ce-work-beta): move config to .compound-engineering/config.local.toml

Migrates delegation settings from .claude/compound-engineering.local.md
(YAML frontmatter) to .compound-engineering/config.local.toml (plain TOML).
The new path is platform-agnostic and aligns with the planned config
storage redesign. TOML is a better fit for flat key-value config —
supports comments, no whitespace traps, no implicit type coercion.

Author: tmchow

plugins/compound-engineering/compound-engineering.local.example.md

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Compound Engineering — local config
+# Copy to .compound-engineering/config.local.toml in your project root.
+# All settings are optional. Invalid values fall through to defaults.
+
+# work_delegate = "codex"          # "codex" | false (default: false)
+# work_delegate_consent = true     # true | false (default: false)
+# work_delegate_sandbox = "yolo"   # "yolo" | "full-auto" (default: "yolo")
+# work_delegate_decision = "auto"  # "auto" | "ask" (default: "auto")
+# work_delegate_model = "gpt-5.4"  # any valid codex model (default: "gpt-5.4")
+# work_delegate_effort = "high"    # "minimal" | "low" | "medium" | "high" | "xhigh" (default: "high")

plugins/compound-engineering/config.local.example.toml

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Parse `$ARGUMENTS` for the following optional tokens. Strip each recognized toke
 | Token | Example | Effect |
 |-------|---------|--------|
 | `delegate:codex` | `delegate:codex` | Activate Codex delegation mode for plan execution |
-| `delegate:local` | `delegate:local` | Deactivate delegation even if enabled in local.md |
+| `delegate:local` | `delegate:local` | Deactivate delegation even if enabled in config |
 
 All tokens are optional. When absent, fall back to the resolution chain below.
 
@@ -39,25 +39,25 @@ All tokens are optional. When absent, fall back to the resolution chain below.
 After extracting tokens from arguments, resolve the delegation state using this precedence chain:
 
 1. **Argument flag** -- `delegate:codex` or `delegate:local` from the current invocation (highest priority)
-2. **local.md setting** -- Read `.claude/compound-engineering.local.md` and extract `work_delegate` from YAML frontmatter. Value `codex` activates delegation; `false` deactivates.
+2. **Config file** -- Read `.compound-engineering/config.local.toml` in the repo root. Extract `work_delegate` from the TOML keys. Value `"codex"` activates delegation; `false` deactivates.
 3. **Hard default** -- `false` (delegation off)
 
-To read local.md: open the file, extract content between the opening and closing `---` delimiters (YAML frontmatter), and interpret the keys. If the file is missing, empty, has malformed frontmatter, or any setting has an unrecognized value, fall through to the hard default for that setting.
+To read the config file: open `.compound-engineering/config.local.toml` and parse it as TOML. If the file is missing, empty, malformed, or any setting has an unrecognized value, fall through to the hard default for that setting.
 
-Also read from local.md when present:
+Also read from the config file when present:
 - `work_delegate_consent` -- `true` or default `false`
-- `work_delegate_sandbox` -- `yolo` (default) or `full-auto`
-- `work_delegate_decision` -- `auto` (default) or `ask`
-- `work_delegate_model` -- Codex model to use (default `gpt-5.4`). Passthrough — any valid model name accepted.
-- `work_delegate_effort` -- `minimal`, `low`, `medium`, `high` (default), or `xhigh`
+- `work_delegate_sandbox` -- `"yolo"` (default) or `"full-auto"`
+- `work_delegate_decision` -- `"auto"` (default) or `"ask"`
+- `work_delegate_model` -- Codex model to use (default `"gpt-5.4"`). Passthrough — any valid model name accepted.
+- `work_delegate_effort` -- `"minimal"`, `"low"`, `"medium"`, `"high"` (default), or `"xhigh"`
 
 Store the resolved state for downstream consumption:
 - `delegation_active` -- boolean, whether delegation mode is on
-- `delegation_source` -- `argument` or `local.md` or `default` -- how delegation was resolved (used by environment guard to decide notification verbosity)
-- `sandbox_mode` -- `yolo` or `full-auto` (from local.md or default `yolo`)
-- `consent_granted` -- boolean (from local.md `work_delegate_consent`)
-- `delegate_model` -- string (from local.md or default `gpt-5.4`)
-- `delegate_effort` -- string (from local.md or default `high`)
+- `delegation_source` -- `argument` or `config` or `default` -- how delegation was resolved (used by environment guard to decide notification verbosity)
+- `sandbox_mode` -- `yolo` or `full-auto` (from config or default `yolo`)
+- `consent_granted` -- boolean (from config `work_delegate_consent`)
+- `delegate_model` -- string (from config or default `gpt-5.4`)
+- `delegate_effort` -- string (from config or default `high`)
 
 ---
 

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-work-beta/SKILL.md

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ fi
 If `inside_sandbox` is true, delegation would recurse or fail.
 
 - If `delegation_source` is `argument`: emit "Already inside Codex sandbox -- using standard mode." and set `delegation_active` to false.
-- If `delegation_source` is `local.md` or `default`: set `delegation_active` to false silently.
+- If `delegation_source` is `config` or `default`: set `delegation_active` to false silently.
 
 **2. Availability Check**
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ If the Codex CLI is not on PATH: emit "Codex CLI not found -- using standard mod
 
 **3. Consent Flow**
 
-If `consent_granted` is not true (from local.md `work_delegate_consent`):
+If `consent_granted` is not true (from config `work_delegate_consent`):
 
 Present a one-time consent warning using the platform's blocking question tool (AskUserQuestion in Claude Code). The consent warning explains:
 - Delegation sends implementation units to `codex exec` as a structured prompt
@@ -71,16 +71,16 @@ Present a one-time consent warning using the platform's blocking question tool (
 Present the sandbox mode choice: (1) yolo (recommended), (2) full-auto.
 
 On acceptance:
-- Write `work_delegate_consent: true` and `work_delegate_sandbox: <chosen-mode>` to `.claude/compound-engineering.local.md` YAML frontmatter
-- To write local.md: (1) if file does not exist, create it with YAML frontmatter wrapper; (2) if file exists with valid frontmatter, merge new keys preserving existing keys; (3) if file exists without frontmatter or with malformed frontmatter, prepend a valid frontmatter block and preserve existing body content below the closing `---`
+- Write `work_delegate_consent = true` and `work_delegate_sandbox = "<chosen-mode>"` to `.compound-engineering/config.local.toml`
+- To write: (1) if file or directory does not exist, create `.compound-engineering/` and write the TOML file; (2) if file exists, merge new keys preserving existing keys
 - Update `consent_granted` and `sandbox_mode` in the resolved state
 
 On decline:
 - Ask whether to disable delegation entirely for this project
-- If yes: write `work_delegate: false` to local.md, set `delegation_active` to false, proceed in standard mode
+- If yes: write `work_delegate = false` to `.compound-engineering/config.local.toml`, set `delegation_active` to false, proceed in standard mode
 - If no: set `delegation_active` to false for this invocation only, proceed in standard mode
 
-**Headless consent:** If running in a headless or non-interactive context, delegation proceeds only if `work_delegate_consent` is already `true` in local.md. If consent is not recorded, set `delegation_active` to false silently.
+**Headless consent:** If running in a headless or non-interactive context, delegation proceeds only if `work_delegate_consent` is already `true` in the config file. If consent is not recorded, set `delegation_active` to false silently.
 
 ## Batching
 

plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-work-beta/references/codex-delegation-workflow.md

@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ describe("ce:work-beta codex delegation contract", () => {
     // Resolution chain present
     expect(content).toContain("### Settings Resolution Chain")
     expect(content).toContain("work_delegate")
-    expect(content).toContain("compound-engineering.local.md")
+    expect(content).toContain("config.local.toml")
   })
 
   test("argument-hint includes delegate:codex for discoverability", async () => {
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ describe("ce:work-beta codex delegation contract", () => {
     const content = await readRepoFile("plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-work-beta/SKILL.md")
 
     expect(content).toContain("work_delegate_decision")
-    expect(content).toContain("`auto`")
-    expect(content).toContain("`ask`")
+    expect(content).toContain('"auto"')
+    expect(content).toContain('"ask"')
   })
 
   test("has frontend design guidance ported from beta", async () => {