pi-primitive-check

name	pi-primitive-check
description	Use when evaluating proposed Pi customisation work against built-in Pi primitives before implementation, especially extensions, packages, slash commands, and workflow ideas.
compatibility	Requires the Pi coding-agent monorepo docs and source tree.

Pi Primitive Check

Use this before implementing speculative Pi customisation ideas. The goal is to avoid building a parallel abstraction when Pi already has a primitive.

Workflow

1. Restate the underlying user need, separate from the proposed solution.
2. Search local Pi docs for overlapping primitives, especially commands, session features, SDK APIs, extension events, tools, skills, and TUI APIs.
3. Search this repo for existing built-ins and packages/pi-* that already address the need.
4. Classify the proposal:
   • use existing Pi primitive
   • document or wrap existing primitive
   • compose existing primitives
   • implement new feature
5. If overlap exists, pause and ask the user to confirm before coding.

Required local sources

Resolve the installed package from the repository root instead of hard-coding pnpm's versioned store path:

UPSTREAM_PI_ROOT="$(realpath node_modules/@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent)"

Read relevant files under $UPSTREAM_PI_ROOT before deciding:

• README.md for package-level behavior
• docs/ for documented primitives and APIs
• examples/ for supported implementation patterns

If the dependency is not installed, run the repository's normal install workflow rather than substituting stale online documentation. Prefer targeted rg over broad reading, then read the relevant docs fully enough to verify behavior.

Output format

Primitive check:

- User need:
- Existing Pi primitives:
- Existing Pi customisation pieces:
- Overlap/risk:
- Recommendation:
- Confirm before build:

Keep the recommendation direct. If the answer is “do not build this”, say so.