pi-ste

Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) enforcement for pi. The rule engine is Gleam. It compiles to JavaScript, so the extension runs it in process.

What it does

The extension works in three layers:

1. It tells the model the rules. The system prompt gains a rule list built from the same table the linter checks.
2. It blocks a bad write. A hard violation in a write, an edit or a git commit message stops the tool call. The reason names the line, the column and the fix.
3. It checks the reply. A status widget counts violations in the assistant text. A hard violation also returns as a note, so the model reads the rule it broke.

The note never rewrites prose, because a mechanical rewrite can change the meaning. When the turn still holds a tool call, the note arrives before the next model call. The last reply of a run has no tool call, so its note waits for the next prompt.

What it reads

File	Text the linter sees
.md, .mdx, .txt, .rst	all of it, minus code fences and code spans
.ts, .tsx, .js, .gleam, .go, .rs, ...	// and /* */ comments
.sh, .py, .rb, .yml, .toml	# comments
a git commit -m message in bash	the message
anything else	nothing

An identifier is never a violation. const utilize = ... passes. The comment // We will utilize it. does not.

Install

dist/ is a build artifact, so install from npm, where the release ships it:

pi install npm:pi-ste

To run it from a checkout, build dist/ first:

gleam test
./scripts/build-dist.sh
pi -e ./extension.mjs

Use

/ste             Toggle enforcement
/ste off         Disable it
/ste strict      Gate every reply through the say tool
/ste strict off  Leave strict mode

The model can also check its own text with the ste_lint tool.

Strict mode

The pi API blocks a tool call only, so a plain reply stays out of reach. In strict mode the model sends each reply through the say tool, and a hard violation blocks that call. You never read the bad text.

The cost is one tool call for every reply. Use strict mode for a document review, and leave it off for normal work.

The CLI

ste-lint README.md docs/*.md   # exit code 1 on a hard violation
ste-lint --json src/**/*.ts
cat draft.md | ste-lint

Use it in a pre-commit hook or in CI.

Rules

Rule	Severity
dictionary/not-approved-word	hard
length/sentence	hard over 25 words, soft over 20
length/paragraph	hard over 6 sentences
verb/progressive	hard
verb/perfect	hard
verb/passive	soft
style/contraction	hard
style/semicolon	hard
style/phrasal-verb	hard
style/hedge	soft
style/marketing	soft

A Hard rule blocks a write. A Soft rule warns.

STE also caps a compound noun at 3 words. This linter does not check that rule. A word-list heuristic gives too many false positives. An English third-person verb has the same spelling as a plural noun. That check needs part-of-speech tagging.

Build

asdf install gleam 1.18.0
gleam test
./scripts/build-dist.sh

The script writes dist/, a build artifact that .gitignore holds. npm publish runs the script first through prepublishOnly, so the release ships dist/.

Licence

MIT. See AGENTS.md for attribution and for the limits ASD places on the dictionary.