As developers, we're constantly looking for tools that can help us write better code faster. After using Cursor for the past three months, I'm convinced it represents the future of code editing.
Beyond Traditional Editors
I've used many code editors over the years - Sublime Text, Atom, VS Code - each with their strengths. But Cursor represents something fundamentally different: an editor built from the ground up to integrate AI into the development workflow.
Based on VS Code, Cursor feels immediately familiar but adds powerful AI capabilities that have transformed how I work.
AI-Powered Features That Actually Help
Unlike many AI tools that feel gimmicky, Cursor's features solve real problems I face daily:
Contextual Code Generation
The most impressive feature is how Cursor understands the context of your entire codebase:
// Before: I'd write this manually
const calculateTotalPrice = (items) => {
let total = 0;
for (const item of items) {
total += item.price * item.quantity;
}
return total;
}
// With Cursor: I describe what I need
// "Create a function that calculates the total price including tax"
const calculateTotalWithTax = (items, taxRate = 0.08) => {
const subtotal = items.reduce((total, item) =>
total + item.price * item.quantity, 0);
const taxAmount = subtotal * taxRate;
return {
subtotal,
taxAmount,
total: subtotal + taxAmount
};
}The AI understands my codebase's patterns and generates code that matches my style and integrates with existing functions.
Intelligent Refactoring
Cursor excels at helping refactor existing code:
- Converting between class and functional components
- Extracting reusable hooks from component logic
- Modernizing legacy code patterns
- Implementing TypeScript types from JavaScript
Documentation Generation
Writing documentation is often neglected due to time constraints. Cursor can generate comprehensive documentation based on your code:
/**
* Calculates the total price of items including tax
*
* @param {Array<{price: number, quantity: number}>} items - Array of items with price and quantity
* @param {number} [taxRate=0.08] - The tax rate as a decimal (default: 8%)
* @returns {{subtotal: number, taxAmount: number, total: number}} Object containing price breakdown
*
* @example
* const items = [
* { price: 10, quantity: 2 },
* { price: 15, quantity: 1 }
* ];
* const result = calculateTotalWithTax(items);
* // { subtotal: 35, taxAmount: 2.8, total: 37.8 }
*/Performance and Reliability
Despite the advanced AI features, Cursor maintains excellent performance. The editor feels responsive even when working with large codebases.
Conclusion
After three months of using Cursor as my primary editor, I can't imagine going back. The productivity gains are substantial, and the quality of the AI suggestions continues to improve.
If you're on the fence about AI-powered development tools, I highly recommend giving Cursor a try. It's not just a glimpse of the future of coding - it's a practical tool that will make you more productive today.