Installing Cursor

Have you ever wanted your coding environment to do more than highlight errors or autocomplete simple code? Picture an IDE that truly understands your project, helping you solve problems, debug faster, and write cleaner code. That's exactly what Cursor offers.

What is Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-powered standalone IDE based on Visual Studio Code. It uses artificial intelligence to understand your project's context and analyze your code deeply. This allows Cursor to provide helpful suggestions and help you write code more efficiently and effectively.

With Cursor, you can:

• Generate smart, context-aware code snippets.

• Debug your code quickly with targeted, helpful suggestions.

• Get real-time tips that match your project.

• Navigate large projects thanks to contextual awareness.

Cursor is designed specifically to help developers work with various programming languages and project types.

Installation process

Installing Cursor is easy. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the official Cursor website: cursor.com/downloads.

2. Select and download the installer for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

3. Open the downloaded file to start the installation.

4. After installation, open Cursor IDE from your applications folder or desktop shortcut.

Once Cursor opens, you can start using it.

Onboarding Cursor to your project

Onboarding your project helps Cursor fully understand your project's structure, code, and style. This step is important as it helps Cursor provide you with accurate and helpful advice.

Here's how to onboard your project:

1. Run the Cursor IDE.

2. Click Open Folder for an existing project or Create New Project to start from scratch.

3. Cursor will automatically begin analyzing your project's files and structure. This process typically happens quickly, but larger projects may take more time. You can monitor the index status at: Cursor Settings → Indexing & Docs → Codebase Indexing. Find more information about context from the official documentation.

After completing the indexing process, Cursor will provide helpful, context-based tips directly in the code, and chat responses will be more accurate.

Configuring Cursor for personalized use

Cursor lets you adjust settings to match your personal style and needs. Proper configuration helps you get the most out of Cursor and maintains a smooth workflow.

Important settings you can configure include:

• Preferences. In Cursor's settings, you can change themes, shortcuts, and other preferences just like in VS Code. For example, you can now import your VS Code preferences directly through Cursor Settings → General → Import Settings from VS Code.

• Model choosing. Cursor supports integration with various AI models. You can select from built-in models or configure custom API keys for providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Azure. Be careful, as some models require billing per token.

• Rules. Cursor allows you to define rules that guide its AI behavior, ensuring consistency and adherence to project-specific standards. Here is a collection of the rules for any kind of projects and tools from the community. There are two primary types of rules:

  • Project Rules: Stored in the .cursor/rules directory within your project, these rules are version-controlled and scoped to your codebase.

  • User Rules: Defined globally in Cursor Settings -> Rules, these rules apply across all projects. They are useful for setting personal coding preferences and general AI behavior.

Customizing Cursor ensures that it integrates smoothly into your daily coding tasks.

Auto-run safety settings

By default, the Cursor prompts for confirmation before executing commands that could modify your files or system.

This safeguard helps prevent unintended changes. If you prefer to allow Cursor to run commands without approving, you can adjust this in the settings. To find this settings open Settings → Chat → Auto-Run, then choose your preferred execution behavior: for example, Ask Every Time – Cursor prompts before running commands, Always Auto-Run – Commands run automatically without confirmation.

For more detailed information on configuring safety settings and understanding Cursor's behaviour, please refer to the official documentation.

Practical everyday use

After setting up your project and preferences, Cursor becomes a valuable part of your daily workflow. Here are some practical ways you can use Cursor every day:

• Ask coding questions.
  Type your coding questions into the Cursor AI panel for quick and helpful answers. For example, when you open a large class in a legacy project, you can ask for an explanation:

  Explain how the code in this class MyCustomClass.java work
  

• Code generation and debugging.
  Ask Cursor to write code, debug errors, or improve your existing code.

  Generate me a basic Login component in React with fields name, email, and password.
  

• Code reviews and documentation.
  Create detailed documentation or perform thorough code reviews using simple instructions.

  Make the code review the last changes in the current file. Act as a senior developer and explain if something is not well implemented, based on the best practices.
  

• Using shortcuts to edit or provide specific lines or files in context:

  • Open a quick edit on the line: Command + K on Mac and Ctrl + K on Windows

  • Provide code lines to the chat and ask anything about them: Command + L on Mac or Ctrl + L on Windows

• Work with the Terminal context directly. Right-click on the terminal and add the output as context for AI to ask questions about errors or application status.

  

Conclusion

Cursor is an advanced AI-powered IDE that improves your coding experience.

You've learned what Cursor offers, how to install it, how to onboard your projects, how to configure it for your needs, and how to integrate it into your daily tasks. With Cursor, you can write code faster, debug more efficiently, and manage complex projects easily.

Now it's your turn to install the Cursor IDE, set up your projects, and experience faster, easier coding!