@jqwn/pi-ask-user-question

A Pi extension that lets the model pause mid-task and ask rich questions in the terminal UI.

It registers an AskUserQuestion tool with support for:

• 1-4 questions in a single dialog
• 2-4 options per question
• short headers for multi-question navigation
• option descriptions
• optional option previews for code/config/mockup comparisons
• single-select or multi-select questions
• automatic Other custom-text answers

Installation

pi install npm:@jqwn/pi-ask-user-question

Project-local install:

pi install -l npm:@jqwn/pi-ask-user-question

Try from a local checkout:

pi -e /path/to/pi-ask-user-question

Usage

Once installed, AskUserQuestion is available to the model automatically. Ask Pi to clarify before choosing an approach, for example:

Before implementing, use AskUserQuestion to ask me which database to use: Postgres, MySQL, or SQLite.

The extension also provides a manual demo command:

/ask-user-question-demo

Tool schema

{
  questions: [
    {
      question: string,
      header: string,
      options: [
        {
          label: string,
          description: string,
          preview?: string
        }
      ],
      multiSelect?: boolean
    }
  ],
  metadata?: {
    source?: string
  }
}

Notes for model behavior

• Use AskUserQuestion when a user preference, requirement, or decision is needed before proceeding.
• Ask specific questions with 2-4 concrete choices.
• Do not include an Other option; the TUI adds it automatically.
• Use multiSelect only when multiple options can be chosen together.
• Use previews only for concrete artifacts users need to compare, like snippets, configs, or ASCII mockups.

Publishing

This package includes the pi-package keyword and pi.extensions manifest so it can be discovered by Pi's package gallery after being published to npm.

License

MIT