nicobailon/pi-powerline-footer

What it solves

pi-powerline-footer is a UI enhancement for the Pi editor, providing a highly customizable, information-dense status bar (powerline) and editor utilities to improve the workflow of developers using AI agents. It replaces the default "Working..." messages with themed "vibes" and adds advanced editor state management like stashing and queuing.

How it works

The project integrates as an extension for the Pi editor, adding a visual footer that displays real-time data such as the active AI model, Git status, context window usage, and token costs. It introduces a managed shell session (Bash mode) that allows users to run commands directly within the editor environment, and a "stash" system to temporarily save and clear editor content for quick prompts.

Who it’s for

Developers and power users of the Pi editor who want more visibility into their AI agent's state (context, tokens, cost) and a more efficient, terminal-like experience with integrated shell access and Git integration.

Highlights

• Powerline Status Bar: A customizable footer showing model info, thinking levels, Git branch/status, and context usage with color-coded warnings.
• Bash Mode: A persistent managed shell session with ghost suggestions and a dedicated transcript for command output.
• Editor Stash: A quick-toggle system (Alt+S) to save and restore editor drafts without losing work.
• Powerline Queue: A file-backed queue that prevents prompts from being lost during compaction and allows for manual delivery or retries.
• Working Vibes: AI-generated themed loading messages (e.g., Star Trek or Pirate themes) to replace the standard "Working..." text.
• ** Lemmas & Layout**: Support for Nerd Fonts, multiple layout presets (minimal, full, nerd), and the custom promotion of extension status keys into the footer.