split-editor

Open pi prompt editing in a live tmux split editor without freezing the pi UI.

Packages

Package details

extension

Install split-editor from npm and Pi will load the resources declared by the package manifest.

npm repohome report
$ pi install npm:split-editor
Package
split-editor
Version
0.1.8
Published
May 15, 2026
Downloads
not available
Author
kaioqb
License
MIT
Types
extension
Size
3.3 MB
Dependencies
0 dependencies · 2 peers
Pi manifest JSON
{
  "image": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kyleqbnguyen/split-editor/main/assets/screenshot.png",
  "video": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kyleqbnguyen/split-editor/main/assets/demo_compressed.mp4",
  "extensions": [
    "./index.ts"
  ]
}

Security note

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

README

split-editor

Edit pi prompts in a live tmux split without blocking pi's TUI.

split-editor replaces pi's blocking Ctrl+G external-editor workflow. Press Ctrl+G in pi's prompt editor to open the current prompt in your editor (nvim by default) in a tmux split. When the editor exits, the edited text is read back into pi's prompt.

Pi stays visible and resize-aware in the original pane while the split is open. The prompt is locked during editing so it cannot be mutated in two places at once.

Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/47a81b03-8292-45b9-8c85-508719c5f585

Requirements

  • pi
  • tmux
  • nvim by default; set the editor option to use a different terminal editor (see Configuration)

Installation

From npm:

pi install npm:split-editor

From a local checkout:

pi install /path/to/split-editor

For development:

pi -e .

Usage

  1. Start pi inside tmux with this package loaded.
  2. Type a prompt.
  3. Press Ctrl+G.
  4. Edit in the tmux split.
  5. Save and quit the editor.
  6. The edited text replaces the pi prompt.

Pressing Ctrl+G again while the split editor is already open will not open a second editor.

Configuration

Configuration is read each time Ctrl+G opens the split editor, so file/env changes are picked up without reloading the extension.

Options:

Option Env var Default Description
editor SPLIT_EDITOR_EDITOR nvim Editor command to run in the tmux pane.
size SPLIT_EDITOR_SIZE 50% tmux split size passed to tmux split-window -l.
direction SPLIT_EDITOR_DIRECTION h h/horizontal for side-by-side, v/vertical for top/bottom.
showIndicator SPLIT_EDITOR_SHOW_INDICATOR true Show SPLIT EDITOR OPEN in the editor border while locked.

Precedence, lowest to highest:

  1. Defaults
  2. Global config: ~/.pi/agent/extensions/split-editor.json
  3. Global pi settings: ~/.pi/agent/settings.json under splitEditor
  4. Project config: .pi/split-editor.json
  5. Project pi settings: .pi/settings.json under splitEditor
  6. Environment variables

Standalone config files use the options directly:

{
  "editor": "nvim",
  "size": "50%",
  "direction": "horizontal",
  "showIndicator": true
}

Pi settings.json uses a splitEditor object:

{
  "splitEditor": {
    "editor": "nvim",
    "size": "50%",
    "direction": "vertical",
    "showIndicator": false
  }
}

Environment example:

SPLIT_EDITOR_EDITOR="nvim" \
SPLIT_EDITOR_SIZE=50% \
SPLIT_EDITOR_DIRECTION=h \
SPLIT_EDITOR_SHOW_INDICATOR=false \
pi

SPLIT_EDITOR_SHOW_INDICATOR accepts 1, true, yes, on, 0, false, no, or off.

Notes and limitations

  • Requires tmux for live split behavior; falls back to pi's default external editor outside tmux.
  • The pi prompt editor ignores input while the split editor is open.
  • If the editor exits non-zero, the temp file is still read back into pi and a warning is shown.
  • Temporary files are removed on a best-effort basis after the editor closes.