A pi extension that turns the editor chrome into a project-aware theme while preserving the skill-description detail window. It owns pi's single custom-editor slot via TrackingEditor and renders entirely against pi's live theme (no hardcoded colors).

Features

Detail window — bordered window above the input that mirrors the completion popup's highlight and shows the candidate's full description (wrapped at width − 4, cap 5 lines, … ellipsis, offset/total header, shrinks when empty). Lifecycle mirrors the popup (opens/closes with it); hidden for candidates without a description. Scroll with shift+up/down (fallback alt+j/k).

Model border — top border shows provider/model · thinking · contextWindow with thinking-level glow via getThinkingBorderColor. Toggle with /model-info (off restores pi's stock border).

Footer — single line below the input, responsive via fitSegmentsByPriority and alignRight:

• Left: cwd (· git branch + status [! ? + ↑↓] + stashed/conflicted) • runtime (node/python/rust/go… + version) • timer (working/done)
• Right: tokens (↑ <total input> · ↓ <output> · $<cost>) — ↑ counts every billed input token (uncached input + cache read + cache write), so it tracks the context bar's token figure instead of usage.input alone
• Separators: · between cwd and git, • as default between other left components; the context bar (<pct> · <tokens>/<window> | c <hit%>) sits on the top border next to the model label, not in the footer
• cwd respects workspaceDisplay (~/development/ai/pi-skill-desc vs pi-skill-desc, switchable in settings)
• context bar uses stressColor and renderBar (12 cols max) with •/· handling
• Extension statuses line (wrapTextWithAnsi) when footerSegments.extensionStatuses

All segments are toggleable via footerSegments (cwd, sessionName, gitBranch, gitStatus, gitCommit, runtime, context, tokens, cost, extensionStatuses). Footer is installed via ctx.ui.setFooter when available, fallback to setWidget("theme-footer", …, {placement:"belowEditor"}), and is fully removed when the extension is disabled (enabled: false restores pi's default footer).

Cursor — block (software reverse, setShowHardwareCursor(false)), bar (\x1b[6 q), underline (\x1b[4 q) with hardware cursor (setShowHardwareCursor(true)). Style is previewed in real time: when the settings overlay is open (!focused + previewHardwareCursor), the software cursor \x1b[7m…\x1b[0m is replaced with CURSOR_MARKER so the layout shows the hardware shape instantly; when focused the software cursor is removed and the hardware sequence is written.

Input border — bottom border is kept clean (no cwd); right side shows telemetry when telemetry.enabled (TPS, TTFT, duration, tokens, stalls, cost via TurnTelemetryTracker).

Config — single JSON ~/.pi/agent/pi-skill-desc.json (validated at load, DEFAULT_CONFIG with enabled:true, workspaceDisplay:"path", cursorStyle:"block", icons:"auto", all footerSegments/telemetry on). Settings dialog /pi-footer (General/Appearance/Footer/Telemetry, English, Tab/↑↓/Enter/Esc) live-edits and persists via saveConfig, with cursorStyle and enabled applying instantly and workspaceDisplay switching cwd format.

Quick start

pi -e ./src/index.ts

Type / → popup opens, detail window appears above input, header shows model top, footer shows cwd · git • runtime left and tokens context right. /pi-footer opens settings; /model-info toggles border glow.

Why you need this

The native popup truncates long skill descriptions mid-sentence; the detail window shows the full text without guessing. The native footer shows only context; this footer adds the project context you actually need — which branch, how many files changed, which runtime, how many tokens — while keeping the context bar for the limit.

Breakage mode

Highlight tracking observes two private pi-tui internals (autocompleteList, applyAutocompleteSuggestions per ADR-0001). At load it asserts both and warns [pi-skill-desc] pi-tui internals changed… if pi renames them; the window then never appears rather than showing wrong content. Single editor slot ownership is per ADR-0002.

Manual verification

1. pi -e ./src/index.ts (or pi -ne -e ./src/index.ts to isolate)
2. / → tab through candidates, detail window follows; shift+down scrolls long text
3. Footer: cwd (· git) • runtime left, tokens right next to [bar] % right; /pi-footer → General → Workspace display toggles ~/…/pi-skill-desc vs pi-skill-desc
4. Cursor: /pi-footer → General → Cursor style cycles block/bar/underline, shape updates in real time (bar shows |, underline _)
5. Disable: /pi-footer → General → Enabled: Off → footer reverts to pi's default (relative time / model); re-enable restores theme

Project structure

pi-editor-footer/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts               # extension entry, widget/header/footer install, /model-info
│   ├── tracking-editor.ts     # TrackingEditor (Editor slot, highlight, border, cursor)
│   ├── footer.ts              # renderFooter / installFooter (cwd·git • runtime • tokens·context)
│   ├── detail-render.ts       # wrap/scroll/ellipsis (tested)
│   ├── window-presentation.ts # bordered themed box (tested)
│   ├── model-info.ts          # top border glow+label
│   ├── git.ts                 # readGitStatus (branch/ahead/behind + staged/modified/...)
│   ├── runtime.ts             # readRuntimeInfo (node/python/rust/go/… via lockfiles)
│   ├── telemetry.ts           # TurnTelemetryTracker + formatTurnTelemetry
│   ├── config.ts              # ThemeConfig + load/save
│   ├── theme-settings.ts      # /pi-footer dialog
│   └── state.ts               # FooterState
├── test/
└── docs/
    ├── adr/0001-tracking-editor-for-skill-descriptions.md
    └── adr/0002-own-editor-slot-port-model-info-glow.md

Development

• npm test — node:test + tsx (87 cases)
• npm run typecheck — strict TS

License

No license declared yet; all rights reserved. (Private repository.)