added professional tone

.changeset/professional-tone-toggle.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@nanocollective/nanocoder": minor
+---
+
+Added a `professionalTone` preference (`/settings` → Behavior → Professional Tone). When on, the end-of-turn note drops its random adjective ("Completed in 12s." instead of "Worked for a plucky 12s.") and the system prompt gains a TONE section instructing the model to stay terse and strictly functional — no filler, no preamble, no celebratory wrap-ups.

docs/configuration/preferences.md

@@ -70,6 +70,24 @@ You can change this by editing the preferences file directly:
 
 Reasoning traces can also be toggled dynamically with the Ctrl+R keyboard shortcut.
 
+### Professional Tone
+
+Professional ("boring") tone is stored in the preferences file with the `professionalTone` field:
+
+| Option | Type | Default | Description |
+|--------|------|---------|-------------|
+| `professionalTone` | boolean | `false` | When true, progress text is strictly functional (`Completed in 12s.` instead of `Worked for a plucky 12s.`) and the system prompt gains a TONE section telling the model to be terse — no filler, no preamble, no celebratory wrap-ups. |
+
+You can change this via `/settings` → **Behavior** → **Professional Tone**, or by editing the preferences file directly:
+
+```json
+{
+  "professionalTone": true
+}
+```
+
+The progress text changes immediately. The system prompt section is picked up the next time the prompt is rebuilt — on a mode or model switch, or on restart.
+
 ### Notification Configuration
 
 Desktop notification preferences are stored under the `nanocoder.notifications` namespace:

source/app/components/settings-tabs.spec.tsx

@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ test('each tab lists its expected setting rows', async t => {
 	stdin.write(RIGHT);
 	await tick();
 	await expectRow('Tool Results and Thinking');
+	await expectRow('Professional Tone');
 
 	// Advanced.
 	stdin.write(RIGHT);

source/app/components/settings-tabs.tsx

@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ import {
 	getNotificationsPreference,
 	getPasteThreshold,
 	getPrivacyPreference,
+	getProfessionalTone,
 	getReasoningExpanded,
 	updateAlternateScreen,
+	updateProfessionalTone,
 } from '@/config/preferences';
 import {useResponsiveTerminal} from '@/hooks/useTerminalWidth';
 import {useTheme} from '@/hooks/useTheme';
@@ -184,6 +186,13 @@ function buildRowsForTab(
 					value: getReasoningExpanded() ? 'expanded' : 'collapsed',
 					panel: 'reasoning-traces',
 				},
+				{
+					kind: 'boolean',
+					id: 'professional-tone',
+					label: 'Professional Tone',
+					value: getProfessionalTone(),
+					onToggle: () => updateProfessionalTone(!getProfessionalTone()),
+				},
 				{
 					kind: 'managed',
 					id: 'default-mode',

source/app/prompts/sections/professional-tone.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+## TONE
+
+The user has enabled professional tone. Output must be strictly functional.
+
+- **No filler**: No preambles ("Sure!", "Great question", "Let me..."), no sign-offs, no restating the request back.
+- **No commentary about the work**: Don't narrate what you are about to do or celebrate what you finished. Report the result.
+- **Terse**: Answer in the fewest words that are still complete and correct. Prefer a sentence over a paragraph, a fragment over a sentence.
+- **Neutral register**: No enthusiasm, humor, emojis, or exclamation marks. Never praise the user or your own work.
+- **Facts only**: State what changed, what failed, and what remains. Omit anything the user did not ask for.

source/config/preferences.spec.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
 	getNanocoderShape,
 	getNotificationsPreference,
 	getPasteThreshold,
+	getProfessionalTone,
 	getReasoningExpanded,
 	loadPreferences,
 	resetPreferencesCache,
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import {
 	updateNanocoderShape,
 	updateNotificationsPreference,
 	updatePasteThreshold,
+	updateProfessionalTone,
 	updateReasoningExpanded,
 	getPrivacyPreference,
 	updatePrivacyPreference,
@@ -1562,3 +1564,61 @@ test.serial('full workflow: update and retrieve privacy preference', t => {
 		}
 	}
 });
+
+// ============================================================================
+// professionalTone Tests
+// ============================================================================
+
+test.serial('getProfessionalTone returns false when not set', t => {
+	const preferencesPath = getTestPreferencesPath();
+	writeFileSync(
+		preferencesPath,
+		JSON.stringify({lastProvider: 'test'}, null, 2),
+		'utf-8',
+	);
+
+	try {
+		t.is(getProfessionalTone(), false);
+	} finally {
+		if (existsSync(preferencesPath)) {
+			rmSync(preferencesPath, {force: true});
+		}
+	}
+});
+
+test.serial('updateProfessionalTone persists the value', t => {
+	const preferencesPath = getTestPreferencesPath();
+	if (existsSync(preferencesPath)) {
+		rmSync(preferencesPath, {force: true});
+	}
+
+	try {
+		updateProfessionalTone(true);
+		t.is(getProfessionalTone(), true);
+		t.is(loadPreferences().professionalTone, true);
+
+		updateProfessionalTone(false);
+		t.is(getProfessionalTone(), false);
+	} finally {
+		if (existsSync(preferencesPath)) {
+			rmSync(preferencesPath, {force: true});
+		}
+	}
+});
+
+test.serial('updateProfessionalTone preserves other preferences', t => {
+	const preferencesPath = getTestPreferencesPath();
+	savePreferences({lastProvider: 'ollama', lastModel: 'qwen'});
+
+	try {
+		updateProfessionalTone(true);
+		const preferences = loadPreferences();
+		t.is(preferences.lastProvider, 'ollama');
+		t.is(preferences.lastModel, 'qwen');
+		t.is(preferences.professionalTone, true);
+	} finally {
+		if (existsSync(preferencesPath)) {
+			rmSync(preferencesPath, {force: true});
+		}
+	}
+});

source/config/preferences.ts

@@ -210,3 +210,21 @@ export function updateAlternateScreen(value: boolean): void {
 	preferences.alternateScreen = value;
 	savePreferences(preferences);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Get the professional ("boring") tone preference. When on, progress text is
+ * strictly functional and the model is instructed to keep responses terse.
+ */
+export function getProfessionalTone(): boolean {
+	const preferences = loadPreferences();
+	return preferences.professionalTone ?? false;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Save the professional tone preference
+ */
+export function updateProfessionalTone(value: boolean): void {
+	const preferences = loadPreferences();
+	preferences.professionalTone = value;
+	savePreferences(preferences);
+}

source/hooks/chat-handler/conversation/conversation-loop.tsx

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import type {
 } from '@/types/core';
 import {buildResponseUsageBounded} from '@/usage/response-usage';
 import {performAutoCompact} from '@/utils/auto-compact';
-import {formatElapsedTime, getRandomAdjective} from '@/utils/completion-note';
+import {buildCompletionNote} from '@/utils/completion-note';
 import {MessageBuilder} from '@/utils/message-builder';
 import {capMessagesForModel} from '@/utils/message-capping';
 import {compressMessages} from '@/utils/message-compression';
@@ -1061,12 +1061,10 @@ export const processAssistantResponse = async (
 		await flushAll();
 
 		setIsGenerating(false);
-		const adjective = getRandomAdjective();
-		const elapsed = formatElapsedTime(startTime);
 		addToChatQueue(
 			<InfoMessage
 				key={generateKey('completion-time')}
-				message={`Worked for a ${adjective} ${elapsed}.`}
+				message={buildCompletionNote(startTime)}
 				hideBox={true}
 				marginBottom={2}
 			/>,

source/types/config.ts

@@ -427,4 +427,11 @@ export interface UserPreferences {
 	 * content. Also switchable per-run with the --no-alt-screen flag.
 	 */
 	alternateScreen?: boolean;
+	/**
+	 * "Boring" output mode. false (default): playful touches stay, e.g. the
+	 * "Worked for a plucky 12s." completion note. true: progress text is
+	 * strictly functional and the system prompt gains a section telling the
+	 * model to be terse — no filler, no preamble, no celebratory wrap-ups.
+	 */
+	professionalTone?: boolean;
 }

source/utils/completion-note.spec.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import test from 'ava';
-import {formatElapsedTime, getRandomAdjective} from './completion-note';
+import {
+	buildCompletionNote,
+	formatElapsedTime,
+	getRandomAdjective,
+} from './completion-note';
 
 test('formatElapsedTime returns seconds only when under a minute', t => {
 	const now = Date.now();
@@ -29,3 +33,18 @@ test('getRandomAdjective returns a non-empty string', t => {
 	t.is(typeof adjective, 'string');
 	t.true(adjective.length > 0);
 });
+
+test('buildCompletionNote includes a random adjective by default', t => {
+	const note = buildCompletionNote(Date.now() - 30_000, false);
+	t.regex(note, /^Worked for a [a-z]+ \d+s\.$/);
+});
+
+test('buildCompletionNote drops the adjective under professional tone', t => {
+	const note = buildCompletionNote(Date.now() - 30_000, true);
+	t.regex(note, /^Completed in \d+s\.$/);
+});
+
+test('buildCompletionNote keeps minute formatting under professional tone', t => {
+	const note = buildCompletionNote(Date.now() - 90_000, true);
+	t.regex(note, /^Completed in \d+m \d+s\.$/);
+});

source/utils/completion-note.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import {getProfessionalTone} from '@/config/preferences';
+
 const adjectives = [
 	'brisk',
 	'swift',
@@ -39,3 +41,17 @@ export const formatElapsedTime = (startTime: number): string => {
 	}
 	return `${seconds}s`;
 };
+
+/**
+ * Build the end-of-turn progress note. Professional tone strips the random
+ * adjective so the line stays strictly functional.
+ */
+export const buildCompletionNote = (
+	startTime: number,
+	professionalTone: boolean = getProfessionalTone(),
+): string => {
+	const elapsed = formatElapsedTime(startTime);
+	return professionalTone
+		? `Completed in ${elapsed}.`
+		: `Worked for a ${getRandomAdjective()} ${elapsed}.`;
+};

source/utils/prompt-builder.spec.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import test from 'ava';
 import {existsSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync} from 'fs';
 import {tmpdir} from 'os';
 import {join} from 'path';
+import {resetPreferencesCache} from '@/config/preferences';
 import {
 	buildSystemPrompt,
 	getLastBuiltPrompt,
@@ -546,3 +547,47 @@ test('buildSystemPrompt - replace systemPrompt updates getLastBuiltPrompt cache'
 	buildSystemPrompt('normal', undefined, ALL_TOOLS, false, override);
 	t.is(getLastBuiltPrompt(), 'cached override prompt');
 });
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Professional tone
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Build a prompt with `professionalTone` forced to a known value by pointing
+ * the preferences loader at a throwaway config dir.
+ */
+function buildWithProfessionalTone(enabled: boolean): string {
+	const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'nanocoder-tone-'));
+	const previousDir = process.env.NANOCODER_CONFIG_DIR;
+	process.env.NANOCODER_CONFIG_DIR = dir;
+	resetPreferencesCache();
+	writeFileSync(
+		join(dir, 'nanocoder-preferences.json'),
+		JSON.stringify({professionalTone: enabled}),
+		'utf-8',
+	);
+	try {
+		return buildSystemPrompt('normal', undefined, ALL_TOOLS);
+	} finally {
+		if (previousDir === undefined) {
+			delete process.env.NANOCODER_CONFIG_DIR;
+		} else {
+			process.env.NANOCODER_CONFIG_DIR = previousDir;
+		}
+		resetPreferencesCache();
+		rmSync(dir, {recursive: true, force: true});
+	}
+}
+
+test.serial('professional tone section is omitted when the preference is off', t => {
+	const result = buildWithProfessionalTone(false);
+	t.false(result.includes('## TONE'));
+});
+
+test.serial('professional tone section is included when the preference is on', t => {
+	const result = buildWithProfessionalTone(true);
+	t.true(result.includes('## TONE'));
+	t.true(result.includes('professional tone'));
+	// Placed before the system info block so it stays close to the end.
+	t.true(result.indexOf('## TONE') < result.indexOf('SYSTEM INFORMATION'));
+});

source/utils/prompt-builder.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {existsSync, readFileSync} from 'fs';
 import {homedir, platform, release} from 'os';
 import {basename, dirname, isAbsolute, join, normalize, resolve} from 'path';
 import {fileURLToPath} from 'url';
+import {getProfessionalTone} from '@/config/preferences';
 import {isNanoProfile, isSingleToolProfile} from '@/tools/tool-profiles';
 import type {SystemPromptConfig, TuneConfig} from '@/types/config';
 import {TUNE_DEFAULTS} from '@/types/config';
@@ -314,6 +315,12 @@ ${getSubagentDescriptions()}`;
 		sections.push(subagentInfo);
 	}
 
+	// Professional ("boring") tone — user preference, opt-in. Placed last among
+	// the static sections so it overrides the register of anything above it.
+	if (getProfessionalTone()) {
+		sections.push(loadSection('professional-tone'));
+	}
+
 	// System info (dynamic) — slim variant under nano
 	sections.push(generateSystemInfo(nano));