docs: sync documentation with post-v0.2 changes

docs/guide/configuration.md

@@ -20,15 +20,53 @@ Benchmark configs inherit from `_base_/default.yaml` and override specific value
 
 ## Key Parameters
 
-### Model
+### Model Backends
+
+`optimizer_backend` controls reflection and skill editing;
+`target_backend` controls task rollout. The legacy `backend` field remains for
+backward compatibility, but explicit role fields are the clearest configuration.
 
 ```yaml
 model:
-  backend: azure_openai          # azure_openai | openai_chat | claude_code_exec | qwen
-  optimizer: gpt-5.5               # Optimizer model (for reflection)
-  target: gpt-5.5               # Target model (for rollout)
+  backend: azure_openai          # High-level compatibility label
+  optimizer_backend: openai_chat
+  target_backend: openai_chat
+  optimizer: gpt-5.5             # Optimizer deployment/model
+  target: gpt-5.5                # Target deployment/model
+  azure_openai_auth_mode: api_key
 ```
 
+| Backend | Optimizer | Target | Configuration |
+|---|:---:|:---:|---|
+| `openai_chat` | ✓ | ✓ | Azure OpenAI, or its explicit compatibility auth mode |
+| `openai_compatible` | ✓ | ✓ | Generic OpenAI Chat Completions endpoint |
+| `claude_chat` | ✓ | ✓ | Claude Code CLI (`claude -p`) |
+| `qwen_chat` | ✓ | ✓ | Qwen served through an OpenAI-compatible local endpoint |
+| `minimax_chat` | ✓ | ✓ | MiniMax API |
+| `codex_exec` | — | ✓ | Codex CLI execution harness |
+| `claude_code_exec` | — | ✓ | Claude Code CLI execution harness |
+
+The current MiniMax adapter has one shared deployment. Set
+`model.minimax_model` when MiniMax is the target; a mixed-backend run cannot
+independently select a MiniMax optimizer model and a different target model.
+
+For a generic compatible provider, select the role backends explicitly rather
+than relying on a high-level shorthand:
+
+```yaml
+model:
+  optimizer_backend: openai_compatible
+  target_backend: openai_compatible
+  optimizer: deepseek-chat
+  target: deepseek-chat
+```
+
+The train/eval entry points apply `model.optimizer` and `model.target` after
+backend initialization. For the selected roles, these YAML values override
+`OPENAI_COMPATIBLE_MODEL`, `QWEN_CHAT_MODEL`, and their per-role environment
+forms. The environment model variables mainly seed direct library use; always
+set the role models in a training or evaluation config.
+
 ### Training
 
 ```yaml
@@ -96,9 +134,16 @@ Notes:
 ```yaml
 evaluation:
   use_gate: true                 # Validation gating (accept/reject updates)
+  gate_metric: hard              # hard | soft | mixed
+  gate_mixed_weight: 0.5         # Soft-score weight when metric=mixed
+  use_semantic_density: false    # Optional instruction-density bonus
   eval_test: true                # Run test evaluation after training
 ```
 
+The default and paper-style setting is `use_gate: true`. Setting it to `false`
+still records selection scores but force-accepts every candidate, so it changes
+the optimization semantics and should be reported explicitly.
+
 ### Environment (Data)
 
 ```yaml
@@ -117,9 +162,10 @@ Override any config value from the command line:
 ```bash
 python scripts/train.py \
   --config configs/searchqa/default.yaml \
-  optimizer.learning_rate=16 \
-  optimizer.lr_scheduler=linear \
-  gradient.analyst_workers=8
+  --cfg-options \
+    optimizer.learning_rate=16 \
+    optimizer.lr_scheduler=linear \
+    gradient.analyst_workers=8
 ```
 
 ## Environment Variables
@@ -128,11 +174,38 @@ Model credentials are loaded from environment variables:
 
 | Variable | Backend | Description |
 |---|---|---|
-| `AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT` | azure_openai | Azure resource endpoint |
-| `AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY` | azure_openai | Azure API key |
-| `OPENAI_API_KEY` | openai | OpenAI API key |
-| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude | Anthropic API key |
-| `QWEN_API_BASE` | qwen | Local Qwen vLLM endpoint |
+| `AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT` | `openai_chat` | Azure resource URL, or compatibility-mode base URL |
+| `AZURE_OPENAI_API_VERSION` | `openai_chat` | Azure API version |
+| `AZURE_OPENAI_AUTH_MODE` | `openai_chat` | `api_key`, `azure_cli`, `managed_identity`, or `openai_compatible` |
+| `AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY` | `openai_chat` | Required when auth mode is `api_key` or `openai_compatible` |
+| `OPENAI_COMPATIBLE_BASE_URL` | `openai_compatible` | Generic Chat Completions base URL |
+| `OPENAI_COMPATIBLE_API_KEY` | `openai_compatible` | Provider API key; optional for local servers |
+| `OPENAI_COMPATIBLE_MODEL` | `openai_compatible` | Shared provider model ID for direct library use; train/eval YAML role models take precedence |
+| `CLAUDE_CLI_BIN` | `claude_chat` | Optional path to the `claude` executable; defaults to `claude` |
+| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | `claude_chat` | Optional authentication method understood by the Claude CLI, not a direct SkillOpt API client |
+| `QWEN_CHAT_BASE_URL` | `qwen_chat` | Local Qwen/vLLM endpoint |
+| `QWEN_CHAT_MODEL` | `qwen_chat` | Served model name for direct library use; train/eval YAML role models take precedence |
+| `MINIMAX_BASE_URL` | `minimax_chat` | MiniMax-compatible base URL |
+| `MINIMAX_API_KEY` | `minimax_chat` | MiniMax API key |
+
+`OPTIMIZER_` and `TARGET_` prefixes provide per-role overrides for the
+Azure, OpenAI-compatible, and Qwen variable families. See the
+[Configuration Reference](../reference/config.md) for exact names.
+
+`claude_chat` launches the installed Claude Code CLI with `claude -p`; install
+and authenticate that CLI before use. Setting `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` is one way
+the CLI may authenticate, but SkillOpt does not call the Anthropic API
+directly through this backend.
+
+### Three OpenAI-compatible paths
+
+- Research, generic provider: select `openai_compatible` and use
+  `OPENAI_COMPATIBLE_*`.
+- Research, Azure-family compatibility mode: keep `openai_chat`, set
+  `AZURE_OPENAI_AUTH_MODE=openai_compatible`, and use `AZURE_OPENAI_*`.
+- SkillOpt-Sleep: run with `--backend azure_openai` and use the same
+  compatibility-mode `AZURE_OPENAI_*` variables. Sleep does not read the
+  research backend's role-specific variables.
 
 ## Full Reference