Cursor

Cursor, from Anysphere. An AI-first code editor for building whole features with an agent.

What it does well

• Building a prototype app quickly
• Refactoring across many files
• Asking questions about a large codebase

What it does poorly

• Code you can't read or test
• Your first week of programming

What makes it different

The whole editor is designed around an AI agent that reads your project and edits many files at once.

Quick start

1. Download Cursor and open a small project.
2. Ask the agent to add one feature and review every change before accepting.
3. Ask it to write tests, then run them.

Strengths and limits

• Strength: Codebase-aware
• Strength: Fast iteration
• Strength: Familiar VS Code layout
• Limit: Easy to accept changes you don't understand
• Limit: Paid tiers for heavy use

Privacy

Review privacy mode settings before opening private code.

Academic integrity

Same as any coding assistant: follow your course policy.