AI Pair Programming: A Practical Guide to Cursor

A comprehensive guide to leveraging Cursor as an AI pair programming tool, covering essential setup, core workflows, and advanced features.

·6 min read

Getting Started

Before diving into advanced features, let's set up Cursor properly.

Installation

  1. Download Cursor from cursor.sh
  2. Install for your platform (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
  3. Launch and sign in with GitHub (recommended for better context)
  4. Configure your preferred theme and settings

Initial Configuration

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root:

touch .cursorrules

Add your base configuration:

{
  "language": "typescript",
  "patterns": {
    "preferred": ["functional", "immutable"],
    "avoid": ["any", "unsafe casts"]
  },
  "testing": {
    "framework": "jest",
    "coverage": 80
  },
  "style": {
    "maxLineLength": 100,
    "indentation": 2
  },
  "ignore": ["node_modules", "dist", ".next", "coverage"]
}

Understanding the Power of Cursor

Most developers underutilize Cursor, treating it as just another code completion tool. However, its real power lies in true pair programming capabilities - understanding context, suggesting solutions, and helping with complex development tasks.

Essential Setup

.cursorrules Configuration

Your .cursorrules file acts as your pair programmer's guide. A strategic setup:

Technical Context:
- Preferred patterns and practices
- Project architecture details
- Framework-specific requirements

Output Expectations:
- Code structure and style
- Error handling patterns
- Testing requirements

Essential Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts to boost your productivity:

| Shortcut                | Description             |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
| Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L    | Open AI chat            |
| Cmd/Ctrl + K            | Command palette         |
| Cmd/Ctrl + /            | Toggle comment          |
| Alt + Click             | Multiple cursors        |
| Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F    | Project-wide search     |
| Cmd/Ctrl + B            | Toggle file explorer    |

Core Workflows

1. Smart Code Generation

Instead of basic prompts, leverage context:

// Weak prompt:
"Create a user authentication function"

// Strong prompt:
"We need a user authentication function that:
- Uses JWT tokens
- Implements refresh token logic
- Handles rate limiting
- Follows our error handling pattern with custom error classes
Show me the implementation."

2. Intelligent Refactoring

Use Cursor to analyze and improve existing code:

// Before refactoring prompt:
"This function works but has performance issues with large datasets:

function processUsers(users) {
  return users.map(u => u).filter(u => u.active).forEach(u =>
    sendEmail(u));
}

// After refactoring - Optimized implementation:
async function processUsers(users: User[]): Promise<void> {
  const activeUsers = users.filter((user) => user.active);

  // Process in batches for memory efficiency
  const batchSize = 100;
  for (let i = 0; i < activeUsers.length; i += batchSize) {
    const batch = activeUsers.slice(i, i + batchSize);

    // Parallel processing with error handling
    await Promise.all(
      batch.map(async (user) => {
        try {
          await sendEmail(user);
        } catch (error) {
          console.error(`Failed to send email to user ${user.id}:`, error);
        }
      })
    );
  }
}

3. Debug-Driven Development

Leverage Cursor for debugging:

"Getting this error in production:
TypeError: Cannot read property 'address' of undefined
Stack trace attached. Help me:
1. Identify potential causes
2. Implement proper null checks
3. Add error boundaries
4. Suggest monitoring points"

Git Integration

Cursor provides powerful Git integration through the @Git, @Diff of Working State, and @Commit commands. Here's how to leverage them:

  1. Commit Analysis

    // Review potential bugs in current commit
Commit (Diff of Working State) "any potential bugs in this commit"

// Analyze specific changes
@Diff of Working State "Review the updated Navigation component changes"

// Example response:
- Potential edge case: path matching might fail with trailing slashes
- Missing null check for item.href
- Consider side effects of startsWith() vs exact match

  2. Code Review

    // Review specific file changes
@Git "src/components/Navigation.tsx: Analyze updates for:
- Logic flow
- Edge cases
- Type safety
- Performance"

// Review working state with detailed focus
@Diff of Working State "Technical review:
- startsWith() implementation
- Root path handling
- Props validation"

  3. Commit Messages

    // Generate semantic commit message
@Diff of Working State "Analyze changes and suggest commit message"

// Example response:
refactor(nav): optimize path matching logic
- Implement startsWith() for nested routes
- Add root path edge case handling
- Refactor conditional checks

  4. Pre-commit Validation

    // Validate changes before commit
Commit (Diff of Working State) "validate:
- Type safety
- Edge cases
- Performance impact"

// For specific components
@Git "Validate Navigation.tsx changes:
- Route handling
- Path matching
- Props usage"

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Context Loss

If Cursor loses context, here's how to fix it:

  1. Check .cursorrules file format

    {
  "language": "typescript",
  "ignore": ["node_modules", "dist"],
  "style": {
    "indentation": 2,
    "maxLineLength": 100
  }
}

  2. Verify correct file placement

    your-project/
├── .cursorrules        # ✅ Correct placement
├── src/
│   ├── .cursorrules    # ❌ Wrong placement
│   └── ...
└── package.json

  3. Restart Cursor properly

    • Save all files
    • Close Cursor completely
    • Clear any lingering processes
    • Reopen project in Cursor

  4. Reinitialize project

    • Delete .cursor directory
    • Restart Cursor
    • Let it reindex project files

Pro Tips

  1. Quick Context Reset

    • Use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P and type "Cursor: Reset Context"
    • Useful when AI responses seem off-track

  2. Smart File Ignoring

    • Add *.generated.* to ignore patterns
    • Exclude large binary files
    • Skip test data files

  3. Workspace Organization

    • Create separate .cursorrules for monorepos
    • Use focused workspaces for large projects
    • Keep context relevant to current task

Best Practices & Common Pitfalls

Effective Usage Patterns

  1. Writing Good Prompts

    // ❌ Avoid vague prompts:
"Fix this code"

// ✅ Be specific and contextual:
"Optimize this authentication function for:
- Rate limiting (100 req/min)
- JWT token rotation (24h expiry)
- Error logging with Sentry
- Unit test coverage"

  2. Code Review Approach

    // ❌ Avoid broad reviews:
"Review this code"

// ✅ Focus on specific aspects:
"Review the error handling in auth middleware:
- Rate limiter implementation
- Token validation
- Error response format
- Security headers"

  3. Project Context

    # ❌ Avoid working in isolation
/review "Check this function"

# ✅ Provide relevant context
/review "This auth middleware handles:
- API rate limiting
- JWT validation
- Role-based access
- Audit logging"

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Over-Reliance

    • Blindly accepting suggestions without code review
    • Not understanding the generated code
    • Skipping security reviews for critical features

  2. Under-Utilization

    • Using only basic code completion
    • Ignoring advanced features like multi-file context
    • Not leveraging Git integration

Conclusion

Cursor works best when used as a collaborative tool rather than just a code generator. Focus on:

  • Clear, specific prompts with context
  • Regular code review and validation
  • Understanding generated code thoroughly
  • Using advanced features appropriately