“Li Li, do you really think this Cursor is as magical as the legends say?” Old Wang asked me while holding his coffee cup.
“Hey, you hit the nail on the head with that question! To be honest, Cursor does have some impressive features, but let’s not mythologize it. Here, let me show you a trick to open your eyes.” I opened my computer, ready to demonstrate this AI programming assistant known as the programmer’s “nuclear weapon.”
Nice to Meet You, Please Take Care of Me
Old Niu asked: “I heard Cursor is a new generation IDE? What’s the difference with VSCode?”
Little Ma replied: “Oh, this needs to start from the beginning. Cursor is actually a modified version of VSCode, but its biggest feature is that it has the OpenAI GPT model built-in. In simple terms, when you write code, there’s a super expert online 24/7, ready to help you with questions, complete code, and optimize refactoring, just like a warm little quilt~”
# For example, if you want to write a quicksort but can’t quite remember how
def quicksort(arr):
# In Cursor, just describe your needs in the comments
# The AI will automatically complete the code
pass
⚠️ Friendly reminder: Cursor is still rapidly iterating, and sometimes it might act up, so it’s recommended to keep it updated to the latest version.
AI Empowered, Smart Beyond Measure
Old Niu asked: “So how smart is it? What code can it write?”
Little Ma replied: “Good question! The strongest feature of Cursor is its code comprehension ability and context awareness. Talking to it is like chatting with an experienced programmer; it can not only understand your code but also grasp your intentions.”
# Suppose you have a piece of hard-to-understand code
def mysterious_func(x, y):
return [i for i in range(x) if i % y == 0]
# Just select the code and press Ctrl+K to let the AI explain what this code does
# It will tell you that this is a generator expression, returning numbers from 0 to x-1 that are divisible by y
Efficiency Tool or Procrastination Device?
Old Niu asked: “So, does this mean programmers will become unemployed?”
Little Ma replied: “Haha, you’re being a bit alarmist! Cursor is more like a booster for programmers. It can indeed help you write a lot less repetitive code, but true programming thinking and architecture design still rely on the human brain. Plus, the code it generates isn’t 100% reliable; sometimes you still need to review and modify it yourself.”
🤔 Friendly reminder: Use AI tools in moderation; don’t rely on them too much, as you still need to do it yourself in critical moments.
Hidden Tips and Tricks
Old Niu asked: “It looks pretty useful, do you have any usage tips?”
Little Ma replied: “Now you’re getting to the point! I’ve summarized a few practical tips: when describing your needs in natural language, be as specific as possible. For example, don’t say ‘write a sort’; say ‘implement a quicksort algorithm for processing an integer array.’ Also, make good use of context so that the AI can understand your complete intention.”
// Bad prompt example
// Write a function to process data
// Good prompt example
// Write a function that takes an array of user objects, filters out users older than 18 with more than 5 valid orders,
// and returns a list of their email addresses.
🌟 Friendly reminder: Communicating with AI is like communicating with a colleague; your expression should be clear and precise.
The big trick is here! Just leave TODO comments in the code, and Cursor will automatically recognize them and provide implementation suggestions. But remember, AI is just a tool; we programmers are the main characters. Writing code still relies on our own brains to think, using AI to improve efficiency.
Artificial intelligence is indeed a double-edged sword, but smart programmers know how to leverage its advantages while avoiding its pitfalls, turning it into a powerful assistant rather than an excuse to slack off. After all, whether the code is well-written or not still depends on the programmer’s skills!