Output style
The output style is the communication layer. Its goal is clarity, and a paragraph is one instrument, not the only one. When an answer has parts that compare, nest, or sequence, replies reach for a table, an indented tree, or an ASCII flow so the structure carries the meaning instead of a wall of prose. Filler is dropped, fragments are fine, and short synonyms win, but compression serves the structure, it does not lead. Technical terms and code blocks are never altered.
A shorter reply that reads worse is a failure, not a win. When a structure communicates faster than sentences (three components with a hierarchy, a sequence that branches across actors), the style picks the structure. When a paragraph is genuinely the clearest form, it stays a paragraph.
It is also the most optional part of atomic-claude. The skills, commands, agents, and signals all work without it. The output style makes Claude's replies clearer to read.
Where the behavior actually comes from
| Layer | What it contributes | Always active? |
|---|---|---|
CLAUDE.md | Principles, testing philosophy, code discipline | ✓ |
| Skills | TDD, verification, debugging, commit messages | ✓ |
| Commands | Workflow orchestration (plan, implement, ship) | When invoked |
| Agents | Specialized workers with their own prompts | When dispatched |
| Output style | Clarity: drop filler, fragments OK, structured output (tables, trees, ASCII flow) | When selected |
The first four layers carry the load. The output style shapes how Claude communicates the result.
How to activate it
- Run
/configin any Claude Code session - Select Output style
- Pick Atomic
This writes "outputStyle": "Atomic" to your project's .claude/settings.local.json. For global scope, add the same key to ~/.claude/settings.json directly.
Restart Claude Code (or start a new session) for the change to take effect.
Safety always wins
Security warnings and irreversible-action confirmations always revert to full prose. Clarity is the point, and these are the cases where a terse fragment could be misread.
Subagents do not inherit the style
Output styles only attach to the main agent. When the orchestrator dispatches atomic-builder, atomic-reviewer, or any other subagent, those agents follow their own system prompts — they are already terse by design.
keep-coding-instructions: true
The shipped output style sets this flag. With it on, selecting Atomic preserves Claude Code's default engineering guidance (scope discipline, comment defaults, security awareness) and adds atomic's tone rules on top. Selecting it is additive — it does not replace anything.