pi-thread-switcher

A floating overlay thread/session switcher for pi

Features · Install · Usage · Keys

Overview

A pi extension that adds a /threads command for fast session switching. Opens a centered floating panel over a live dimmed preview of the selected session — navigate threads and see their content in real-time before switching.

Features

• Floating overlay — centered box composited over a live session preview background
• Live preview — background shows the selected session's messages, scrollable with Shift+↑/↓
• Fuzzy search — type to instantly filter sessions by name or first message
• Scope toggle — switch between project sessions and all sessions across your machine
• Session management
  • Rename (Ctrl+R) — give sessions meaningful names
  • Delete (Ctrl+D) — remove old sessions (protects current)
  • Paste (Ctrl+P) — paste a session's first message into the editor
• Loading progress — visual indicator while scanning all sessions
• Smart display — shows message count, relative timestamps, and working directory

Installation

Copy index.ts into your pi extensions directory:

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/damianpdr/pi-thread-switcher.git

# Copy to pi extensions
mkdir -p ~/.pi/agent/extensions/thread-switcher
cp pi-thread-switcher/index.ts ~/.pi/agent/extensions/thread-switcher/

Or directly:

mkdir -p ~/.pi/agent/extensions/thread-switcher
curl -o ~/.pi/agent/extensions/thread-switcher/index.ts \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/damianpdr/pi-thread-switcher/main/index.ts

Restart pi — the extension auto-loads.

Usage

Type /threads in any pi session to open the switcher.

The overlay shows a compact list of sessions with a live preview in the background. Navigate with arrow keys to preview different sessions, then press Enter to switch.

Scopes

Scope	Description
Project (default)	Sessions from the current working directory
All	Every session across all projects on your machine

Press Tab to toggle between scopes.

Keybindings

Navigation

Key	Action
↑ / ↓	Navigate session list
Shift+↑ / Shift+↓	Scroll background preview
Enter	Switch to selected session
Tab	Toggle project / all sessions
Esc	Close switcher

Session Management

Key	Action
Ctrl+R	Rename selected session
Ctrl+P	Paste session's first message into editor
Ctrl+D	Delete selected session

Search

Just start typing to fuzzy-filter sessions by name or first message content.

How It Works

The extension uses pi's ctx.ui.custom() API to render a full-screen TUI component:

1. Background layer — parses the selected session file and renders its messages as a dimmed preview filling the entire terminal
2. Overlay layer — a bordered floating box (75% width, centered) containing the session list, search bar, and help footer
3. Compositing — the overlay is drawn on top of the background, creating a layered effect

Sessions are loaded from pi's SessionManager — first the current project's sessions, then lazily all sessions in the background.

Requirements

• pi coding agent

License

MIT