pi-prompt-mode

A Pi extension for switching between named model and thinking presets. The current mode appears in the prompt editor border. Prompt history includes recent prompts from other sessions in the same working directory.

Installation

Install the published package with:

pi install npm:@nimanzik/pi-prompt-mode

The extension replaces Pi's prompt editor component. Avoid loading it alongside another extension that replaces the editor.

Mode selection

Use /mode or Alt+O to select a mode or open the configuration menu. Use Alt+N to cycle through modes in configuration order.

/mode                # select a mode or configure modes
/mode <name>         # apply a saved mode
/mode store [name]   # save the current model and thinking level

/mode <name> applies a saved mode. /mode store [name] saves the current model and thinking level into a mode, creating it if needed. Without a name, it opens a mode picker.

The configuration menu lets you add, rename, edit, and delete modes. The default mode cannot be renamed or deleted. On first use, default captures the current model and thinking level, and fast uses the same model with thinking off.

New sessions apply default. Resumed sessions match their model and thinking level to a saved mode when possible. Manual model or thinking changes display custom, which is temporary and is never saved as a mode. From custom, choosing a mode offers to use it or store your current selection into it.

Configuration

Modes are stored in ~/.pi/agent/modes.json. If PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR is set, the extension uses that directory instead. An existing .pi/modes.json in the current working directory takes precedence over the global file; the files are not merged.

You can edit the file directly:

{
  "version": 1,
  "currentMode": "default",
  "modes": {
    "default": {
      "provider": "your-provider",
      "modelId": "your-model-id",
      "thinkingLevel": "high"
    },
    "fast": {
      "provider": "your-provider",
      "modelId": "your-model-id",
      "thinkingLevel": "off",
      "color": "accent"
    }
  }
}

Model and provider names must match Pi's model registry, with credentials already configured. Thinking levels are off, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh, and max; Pi may reduce the level to one supported by the model. Omitted fields leave the corresponding selection unchanged. The optional color is a Pi theme color token; otherwise the border follows the current thinking level.

currentMode records the last successful mode selection, but does not replace default as the starting mode for new sessions. Mode edits are merged with the latest file under a lock to avoid overwriting unrelated edits from other sessions.

Prompt history

The editor combines prompts from the current session with up to 30 recent prompts from other session files for the same working directory. It keeps up to 100 entries after sorting and removing duplicates. Only the last 256 KiB of each previous session file is read, so older prompts in large sessions may be omitted. History stays local and does not make additional model requests.