v7.2.0 — Cron prompt condensation + REFERENCE.md three-file split

7.2.0 (2026-05-27)

Cron prompt condensation + REFERENCE.md tripwire-fired three-file split (fdev-b2f + fdev-3h2). Two related changes that bundle naturally: a ~85% token-cost reduction on every steering-side CronCreate call, and a structural reorganization that splits REFERENCE.md into three single-purpose files now that the documented 1500-line tripwire fired.

Cron prompt condensation (fdev-b2f, Layer 1 + Layer 2 token wins)

The 5 steering-side autopilot cron templates (--watch, --auto-ack, --auto-amend, --worker-cron, --release-on-merge) previously embedded the full Step 0-N cron-fire logic verbatim. When steering armed one via CronCreate(prompt=...), the literal text — ~3000 tokens per cron — became the cron's complete system prompt for every fire. A standard --autopilot macro arms 3 steering crons → ~9000 tokens of CronCreate-prompt overhead per dispatch arm; per-fire amortized cost was ~30,000 tokens per 10 fires.

Each cron template section now has a #### Condensed CronCreate prompt (v7.1.2) sub-subsection holding the literal text steering passes to CronCreate. The condensed variant is a thin pointer (~215-628 tokens per cron, measured: --watch ~215, --release-on-merge ~212, --worker-cron ~363, --auto-ack ~463, --auto-amend ~628 — the two with inline Step 0 adaptive guards run longer because the guard's yq probes + decision tree stay inline by design) that Reads the canonical Step 1-N spec from the same file at fire time. --auto-ack and --auto-amend keep their v7.0.1 adaptive-cadence Step 0 guards INLINE (load-bearing — ~60-70% of fires short-circuit at Step 0 per v7.0.1 fdev-lbq.2/.3; pointer-style Step 0 would defeat the per-fire amortized win by replacing a system-prompt-cached predicate with a tool-result-loaded one). --worker-cron keeps its defensive worker_dispatch_mode == "bg" check inline. The other two (--watch, --release-on-merge) have no Step 0 — fully pointer-style.

Token-cost deltas:

Layer	Metric	Before (v7.1.1)	After (v7.2.0)	Reduction
Layer 1	CronCreate prompt parameter size, per cron	~3000 tokens	~215-628 tokens	~79-93%
Layer 1	Per --autopilot macro arm (3 steering crons: watch+autoack+autoamend)	~9000 tokens	~1306 tokens	~85%
Layer 2	Per-fire amortized context cost (per 10 fires, mixed silent/signal)	~30,000 tokens	~12,000 tokens	~60%

Drift discipline. The full Step 0-N spec stays in the canonical reference; the condensed variant is a derived pointer that Reads the spec at fire time. Eliminates the drift risk where armed crons carry stale Step 1-N text after the canonical spec is updated.

Three-file split (fdev-3h2, tripwire-fired action)

REFERENCE.md was at 3079 lines (post-condensation) — well past the 1500-line tripwire documented in falcon-dev/.claude/architecture.md Design Decisions (the original 2026-05-26 entry noted the tripwire's existence, but the line-count baseline cited there was inaccurate; the actual size at that time was ~2840 lines, already 90% past the threshold). v7.2.0 acts on the tripwire honestly.

File	Contents	v7.2.0 lines
REFERENCE.md (residual)	Schemas, init_prompt templates (default + paste-mode), bootstrap, dispatch prompt, worker return contract, stash file format, copy-paste convention	~915
CRONS.md (NEW)	## Worker Self-Poll Cron Templates (--bg mode only, v7.1.1) + ## Autopilot Cron Prompt Templates (5 cron templates with v7.2.0 condensed sub-subsections + advisor extensions) + shared cron infrastructure subsections (### Cron Telemetry Instrumentation, ### Cron Dispatch-Mode Conventions, ### claude agents CLI surface)	~1478
AUTOPILOT-RULES.md (NEW)	## falcon-autopilot.md Template (6-section rules-file template) + 3 profile definitions (conservative, standard, aggressive) + adopter customization guidance	~730

All three files are now well under the 1500-line tripwire individually. Each has a clear single purpose. REFERENCE.md retains pointer stubs at the locations of the three moved sections, so navigating from old anchors lands in the right new home.

Changes

• NEW .claude/skills/falcon/CRONS.md — cron prompt templates moved here from REFERENCE.md
• NEW .claude/skills/falcon/AUTOPILOT-RULES.md — falcon-autopilot.md rules-file template moved here from REFERENCE.md
• REFERENCE.md — 3 sections removed (## Worker Self-Poll Cron Templates, ## falcon-autopilot.md Template, ## Autopilot Cron Prompt Templates); pointer stubs left at their original locations. File: 3079 → 915 lines.
• PROTOCOL.md — 11 cross-references updated from REFERENCE.md to CRONS.md (4 Step 2 cron emission pointers + 3 worker self-poll pointers + 4 other cron-content references); 2 cross-references updated to AUTOPILOT-RULES.md (/falcon enable-autopilot profile-definitions lookup + autopilot-rules content references); v7.2.0 worker-cron-supersedes-by-self-poll cross-reference paragraph retained (closes Quartermaster Tension 1)
• SKILL.md — frontmatter version: 7.1.1 → version: 7.2.0; file-map updated with CRONS.md + AUTOPILOT-RULES.md entries
• changelog.md — this entry

No behavior change

Additive packaging refactor (condensed variants) + structural reorganization (file split). Full Step 0-N templates remain available as the canonical spec, just relocated. No new schema fields, no new CLI flags, no new runtime deps, no breaking changes to dispatched content. Existing {{ var }} marker + Claude-Code-driven substitution at CronCreate-time stays the templating mechanism (architecture.md "Keep falcon at 4 files; defer jinja adoption" decision remains intact for the template-engine choice; the file count moved from 4 to 6 within the skill directory, which is orthogonal — both decisions live in the updated architecture.md Design Decisions section).

Out of scope (deferred)

• v7.1.1 worker self-poll cron prompts already short; no condensation needed (moved to CRONS.md as-is)
• DAR-self-poll cron template work (same)
• v8.0.0 inotify epic (deferred until 2026-08-01 per separate operator direction)