How to Use Cursor for Full-Stack Development

Cursor is an AI-powered IDE built on VS Code that accelerates full-stack development through intelligent code generation and contextual assistance. This guide covers setting up Cursor for complete web application development from database to frontend.

1. Install Cursor and configure your workspace. Download Cursor from cursor.sh and install it. Open Cursor and press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) to access the command palette. Type 'Cursor: Sign In' and authenticate with your account. Create a new folder for your project and open it in Cursor using File > Open Folder.
2. Set up your full-stack project structure. Press Cmd+J (Mac) or Ctrl+J (Windows/Linux) to open the Cursor Chat panel. Type 'Create a full-stack project structure with React frontend and Node.js backend' and press Enter. Cursor will generate the complete folder structure including client, server, and shared directories. Accept the suggested file structure by clicking the checkmark icons.
3. Generate backend API endpoints. Navigate to your server directory and create a new file called 'routes.js'. In the Cursor Chat, type 'Generate Express.js routes for user authentication, CRUD operations for posts, and file upload endpoints'. Review the generated code and click Apply to insert it into your file. Cursor will automatically handle imports and middleware setup.
4. Create database models and migrations. Open the Chat panel and specify your database choice: 'Create Prisma schema for User and Post models with PostgreSQL'. Cursor will generate the schema.prisma file and suggest migration commands. Run the suggested npx prisma migrate dev command in the integrated terminal (View > Terminal) to apply the database changes.
5. Build React components with AI assistance. Navigate to your client/src directory and create a components folder. In Chat, type 'Create a login form component with validation and a dashboard component for displaying posts'. Cursor will generate complete React components with proper state management, form validation, and styling. Copy the components to their respective files.
6. Implement API integration and state management. Create an api.js file in your client/src directory. Ask Cursor to 'Generate axios client with authentication interceptors and API methods for all backend endpoints'. Cursor will create complete API integration code including error handling and token management. Add state management by asking for 'React Context setup for user authentication and global state'.
7. Debug and optimize your application. Use Cursor's integrated debugger by setting breakpoints (click the line number gutter) and pressing F5 to start debugging. In the Chat panel, ask 'Review my code for performance issues and security vulnerabilities' while having your main files open. Cursor will analyze your codebase and suggest optimizations for both frontend and backend components.
8. Deploy your full-stack application. Ask Cursor to 'Generate Docker configuration for production deployment' and 'Create deployment scripts for Vercel frontend and Railway backend'. Cursor will generate Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml, and deployment configurations. Follow the generated deployment instructions and use the provided scripts to deploy both frontend and backend components.