pi-terse-tools

Compress every pi tool call into a tight two-line block: readable input on line 1, result status and useful output on line 2.

edit src/index.ts
  +6/-3
bash npm test
  ✓ 70 tests passed
read docs/models.md
  24 lines

Expand any block with C-o to see the full output, diff, or written content.

Install

pi install npm:pi-terse-tools

Or try it for one run:

pi -e npm:pi-terse-tools

What it does

Pi's default tool output is verbose and fills the transcript. This extension re-renders the seven built-in tools (read, write, edit, bash, grep, find, ls) as compact two-line blocks:

• Line 1 — tool name + its input in a readable form (path, command, or search query).
• Line 2 — a colored result summary (✓ / ✗ exit N / lines / matches / diff counts). For bash, this also includes a flattened prefix of the live or completed output.

The native tool background and padding are preserved, so success (green ✓) and error (red ✗) states still read at a glance. Long lines truncate cleanly with an ellipsis while keeping the leading status visible. Empty bash output stays as status only; expanding with C-o still shows the original multiline output.

Protocol transparency

This extension only changes rendering. It preserves each built-in tool's native parameter schema and passes its arguments through without adding UI metadata, so installing it does not make tool calls more expensive or fragile for the model.

Acknowledgements

Inspired by pi-tidy-tools by Mikey O'Brien. This is an independent, minimal reimplementation focused on output compression.

License

MIT