The feature-workflow plugin tracks features in files (docs/features/[id]/plan.md), but that state isn't visible without reading the files. Multiple terminal tabs running Claude Code have no indication of which feature each is working on. The statusline integration solves this by writing the current feature ID to a session file that a custom statusline script reads and displays.
This requires two systems working together. The plugin writes session state when features transition. The dotfiles used as part of my terminal setup read that state and display it in the Claude Code. The plugin uses skills as the primary driver for state changes, with hooks as a backup for direct file edits.