pi-laconic

Philip: “If I invade…” · Sparta: “If.”

Examples • Install • Quick start • Commands • Compression

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A Pi package that makes agents answer in laconic Spartan style: short, precise, low-filler output. It cuts roughly 65–75% of output tokens while preserving code, commands, API names, file paths, and exact error strings verbatim.

Key features

• Three intensity modes: low, medium (default), high — pick how terse you want output.
• Slash command: /laconic [mode|off] toggles the mode for the session.
• Natural-language activation: say "laconic mode", "be brief", "save tokens", etc. to switch on; "normal mode" to switch off.
• Session + project persistence: mode survives /reload and is restored per project via .pi/laconic-mode.json.
• Statusline indicator: shows laconic:<mode> when a UI is attached.
• Memory-file compression: /laconic-compress <file> rewrites prose files in laconic style, preserving code, URLs, and paths.

Why "laconic"?

Laconia was Sparta's region. Spartans were famous for saying little and meaning much.

Philip II threatened: "If I invade Laconia, I will raze your city." Sparta answered: "If."

pi-laconic does the same for agent output: keep substance, cut fluff.

Examples

Normal In Python, if you modify a list while iterating over it with a for loop, you can skip elements or get unexpected results because the iterator's index shifts when items are removed. Instead, iterate over a copy of the list using list(items) or a list comprehension, then modify the original list afterward.	/laconic Don't mutate list while iterating. Index shifts → skipped items. Iterate copy: for item in list(items):. Or use list comprehension.
Normal To reduce your Docker image size, use a multi-stage build. Start with a builder stage that compiles your application, then copy only the compiled artifacts into a smaller runtime image based on Alpine or Distroless. For example, FROM node:20 AS builder, then COPY --from=builder /app/dist /app/dist in the final stage.	/laconic Multi-stage build → smaller image. Compile in node:20 AS builder. Copy artifacts to runtime image: COPY --from=builder /app/dist /app/dist.

Same fix, fewer tokens. Code, commands, and exact strings stay verbatim.

Laconic preserves your language — it compresses style, not the underlying tongue. Portuguese, Spanish, French, or any other language stays in its own words.

Mode variants

One scenario, three intensities.

Prompt: Why does my Python script fail with UnboundLocalError?

/laconic low You assigned a value to a variable inside a function after referencing it. In Python, any assignment in a function makes the variable local to that scope. To modify a variable from the outer scope, declare it with nonlocal or global, or pass it as an argument.

/laconic medium Assignment inside function makes variable local. UnboundLocalError means outer var referenced before assignment. Use nonlocal for enclosing scope, global for module scope.

/laconic high Inner assignment → local var. UnboundLocalError = outer ref before local assignment. Use nonlocal/global.

Install

pi-laconic is published to npm as pi-laconic. Install it into a Pi setup with:

pi install npm:pi-laconic

You can also load it straight from a checkout on disk — see the pi -e mechanism below.

Install from GitHub

The simplest way to load the latest version directly from the repository is:

pi install https://github.com/kulapard/pi-laconic

Pi resolves the pi block in package.json and loads both the extension and all skills from the cloned directory.

Load the extension directly (per-session)

For quick testing without installing, use Pi's -e flag for a single session:

pi -e /path/to/pi-laconic/extensions/laconic.ts --skill /path/to/pi-laconic/skills

(Run from a clone of this repo, substituting its absolute path.)

Load via the package manifest

The repo's package.json carries a pi block so Pi can resolve the extension and skills from the package directory:

"pi": {
  "extensions": ["./extensions/laconic.ts"],
  "skills": ["./skills"]
}

Pi resolves pi.extensions relative to the package directory, so the extension loads at its current path (no move into .pi/extensions/ is needed). Point Pi at the package directory with pi install /path/to/pi-laconic if you prefer a persistent install over a per-session pi -e.

First-time setup (for development)

npm install            # fetch the Pi SDK + TypeScript dev deps
npm test               # typecheck + extension/manifest/docs unit tests

Quick start

After installing, type /laconic in any Pi session. The statusline shows laconic:medium. Say "normal mode" or run /laconic off to turn it off.

Modes

Three intensity modes (default medium). A mode sticks until you change it or the session ends.

Mode	Command	Effect
low	/laconic low	Drop filler and hedging. Keep full sentences and articles.
medium	/laconic (default)	Drop articles, filler, pleasantries, hedging. Fragments OK.
high	/laconic high	Extreme compression. Bare fragments. Abbreviate prose words; arrows (X → Y).

/laconic off disables terse mode.

Commands

Command	What it does
/laconic [mode|off]	Enable a mode for this session (or turn it off).
/laconic-help	Show the quick-reference card.
/laconic-compress <file> [--force]	Rewrite a memory file (e.g. CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md) in place, compressed. --force overwrites an existing .original.<ext> backup.

Natural-language activation

You don't have to use a slash command. The extension watches your messages and switches mode on phrases like:

• Activate: "laconic mode", "talk like a Spartan", "be laconic", "use laconic", "less tokens", "fewer tokens", "save tokens", "be brief" → enables medium mode.
• Deactivate: "stop laconic", "normal mode", "disable laconic" → turns it off.

Session and project-scoped behavior

Mode state is stored as a session entry, so it survives a /reload within the same session. It is also persisted per project in .pi/laconic-mode.json, so a new session in the same project directory restores the last used mode. A session entry always overrides the project default, and a project without a state file falls back to off.

Statusline indicator

When a UI is attached, the statusline shows the active mode as laconic:<mode> (for example laconic:high). When laconic is off the indicator is cleared.

Compression

The laconic-compress skill is invoked via the /laconic-compress command. It is prompt-only: the Pi agent itself compresses a memory file in place (writing a FILE.original.<ext> backup) using its own model and file tools, preserving code, URLs, and paths verbatim.

Attribution & license

pi-laconic is a terse-output extension for Pi inspired by caveman by Julius Brussee. Licensed under the MIT License. See CHANGELOG.md for release notes.