[FEATURE] Support for "Delta" overrides in local.settings.json

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Problem: Currently, creating a local settings file requires copying the entire global configuration. This creates "configuration bloat," makes it difficult to see which settings have been intentionally customized, and means local files become outdated when company-wide defaults are updated.

Proposed Solution

Proposed Solution: Enable Layered Configuration. Claude Code should first load the base/company settings and then "patch" them with any values found in the local settings file.

Benefits:

Clarity: Developers only see the 2–3 lines they actually changed.

Maintainability: Local environments stay synced with global updates automatically.

Better DX: Reduces the friction of setting up a personalized workspace.

Simple Design Suggestions

Deep Merging: * Instead of the local file replacing the whole config, it should only replace the specific keys provided.

Example: If the global config has 10 keys and your local file has 1, the resulting active config should still have all 10 keys (9 global + 1 local).

Establish a clear hierarchy: Local File > Global/Company File > Hardcoded Defaults.

This ensures that the user's local intent always "wins" without breaking the rest of the application.

A "View Active Config" Command:

Suggest a command like claude config show --merged.

This would output the final result of the combined files so the user can verify exactly what settings Claude is currently using.

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Low - Nice to have

Feature Category

Configuration and settings

Use Case Example

_No response_

Additional Context

_No response_