Effective Usage Patterns for Cursor AI Code Assistant

Posted by u/JakeHildy8 months agoCurated from Reddit

Project Information

Project Type
Small
Type of Project
Developer Tooling
Problem Type
Developer Workflow Optimization

Tags

ai-assisted-development
developer-tools
productivity
code-generation
web-development
best-practices

AI Models Mentioned

Claude
Code generation and assistance
GPT-4
Code generation and assistance

Summary

A web developer shares their experience and best practices for using the Cursor AI code assistant after 6 months of daily usage. The post outlines three main tips: switching between AI models, using example-based code generation for UI components, and leveraging structural examples for data manipulation functions.

Prompt

Generate a [component type] following this pattern:
[paste example component]

Requirements:
- Maintain consistent styling and structure with the example
- Follow the same pattern for props and state management
- Implement similar error handling and validation
- Use the same coding conventions and naming patterns

Best Practices

Use Example-Based Component Generation

important

Create new components by providing similar existing components as examples

Provide Structure Examples for Data Manipulation

important

When writing data manipulation functions, provide example output structure

Select Appropriate AI Model

important

Choose and switch between different AI models based on task requirements

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't Rely on Single AI Model

important

Avoid sticking to one AI model without testing alternatives

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