pi-context-inspector

Pi extension: inspect the system prompt, active tools, messages, token breakdown and full LLM context in a tabbed overlay

Packages

Package details

extension

Install pi-context-inspector from npm and Pi will load the resources declared by the package manifest.

npm repo report
$ pi install npm:pi-context-inspector
Package
pi-context-inspector
Version
1.3.0
Published
Sep 26, 2026
Downloads
981/mo · 304/wk
Author
yuriteixeira
License
MIT
Types
extension
Size
56.2 KB
Dependencies
0 dependencies · 2 peers
Pi manifest JSON
{
  "extensions": [
    "./index.ts"
  ]
}

Security note

Pi packages can execute code and influence agent behavior. Review the source before installing third-party packages.

README

pi-context-inspector

PS: Forked from the extinct https://github.com/YuGiMob/pi-context-inspector

Opens a tabbed overlay with the full LLM context of the current session in pi-coding-agent: token breakdown, system prompt, active tools, every message, and a complete context dump.

What you get

  • One command, five views. /context opens a centered overlay with Stats, System, Tools, Messages and Full tabs.
  • Token breakdown that matches reality. Raw character-based estimates are scaled to the provider-reported token count, so category percentages are proportional to the real usage — not to a guess.
  • A visual usage grid. A 10×5 colored grid (50 blocks, 2% each) shows at a glance how much of the context window is system prompt, tools, skills, messages, available space, and the auto-compact buffer.
  • Scroll, search, copy, or inspect in an editor. Every content tab supports vim style scrolling, live / search with match navigation, y to copy the raw text, and e to open a snapshot in $EDITOR.
  • Skill-aware accounting. Tool calls that read skill files (.agents/skills/, .pi/agent/*/skills/, skills/*/SKILL.md) are counted under Skills instead of Tools.

Quick start

Run /context at any point during a session:

/context

The overlay opens with the Stats tab active. Tab / Shift+Tab cycles tabs, q or Escape closes the overlay. On System, Tools, Messages, or Full, press e to open that view in $EDITOR. Pi resumes when the editor exits. Any edits to the temporary file are discarded and do not change the session. The editor removes color codes from tool results in Messages and Full; the overlay and copied text keep the original content. Stats and Skills do not have editor views; Skills is a category in Stats, not a separate tab.

Installation

pi install npm:pi-context-inspector

From a local checkout:

pi install /path/to/pi-context-inspector

The tabs

Tab Shows
Stats Model name, token usage vs. context window (with percent), a 10×5 colored usage grid, a per-category breakdown (system prompt, system tools, tools, skills, messages, available, auto-compact buffer), and safe-left tokens.
System The full system prompt, line-numbered, scrollable and searchable.
Tools Active tool definitions with their parameter schemas (required vs. optional, descriptions).
Messages All session messages formatted with roles, model, token usage, stop reasons, tool calls, image placeholders and errors.
Full Complete context dump: system prompt + messages + context usage, ready to copy.

Keyboard

Key Action
Tab / Shift+Tab Cycle tabs
↑ / ↓, j / k Scroll
g / G Jump to top / bottom
PgUp / PgDn, Ctrl+b / Ctrl+f, Ctrl+u / Ctrl+d Page scroll
/ Live search (type, Enter to commit)
n / N Next / previous match
y Copy the tab's raw text to the clipboard
e Open the current text tab in $EDITOR
q / Escape Close the overlay

How the token breakdown works

Each category is estimated from raw text (chars ÷ 4, using pi's own per-message token estimator so thinking and image content are counted), then all estimates are scaled by a single ratio so they sum to the provider-reported token count. The grid reserves the auto-compact buffer as its own segment; the remaining blocks are filled proportionally by category. safeAvailable is the context window minus the reserve minus current usage — when it hits zero, the overlay reports that the auto-compact threshold has been reached.

Troubleshooting

  • "No context usage data available." Send a message first, then re-open /context — usage is only reported once a turn has run.
  • The overlay doesn't open. /context requires interactive (TUI) mode; it is a no-op when ctx.hasUI is false.
  • The editor doesn't open. Set $EDITOR to a terminal editor command, such as vim or code --wait. The command must stay open until you finish viewing the file.
  • Percentages look off. The breakdown scales estimates to the provider's reported total, so category sizes are proportional — but the provider total itself is only as accurate as the provider's usage reporting.

Development

Requires Node.js ≥ 22.19 and npm.

npm install
npm test
npm run typecheck

Credits

License

MIT