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Interface Overview

In this lesson, we’re going to take a tour of Cursor. If you’re already familiar with VS Code, you’ll feel right at home. Cursor brings everything you love about VS Code—like project navigation, Git integration, and extensions—while adding powerful AI tools to help you code faster and more efficiently. By the end of this video, you’ll know how to navigate the interface and use its features to make your development smoother. When you open Cursor, it looks just like VS Code. On the left-hand side, you’ll see the Project Explorer where all your files and folders are displayed. You can easily navigate through your project, open files, and switch between tabs, just like in VS Code. In the center is the Editor Pane where you’ll write your code. This is where AI suggestions come into play, helping you write better code faster. You can open the AI Chat Panel to ask the AI to explain or improve any part of your code. At the top, you have the Search Bar to quickly find files or symbols within your project. Pressing a shortcut opens the Command Palette, letting you run commands or open files without leaving the keyboard. This gives you instant access to any action in Cursor, from installing extensions to running tasks. Cursor also supports all the extensions compatible with VS Code. Simply go to the Extensions tab on the left to install language support, themes, or even tools like linters. Git is fully integrated into Cursor, so you can commit, push, and pull changes directly from the left sidebar. You can review diffs and see which files have been modified—all within the editor. At the bottom of the interface, you’ll find the Terminal where you can run commands without ever leaving Cursor. This integration keeps your development process smooth by bringing everything into one place. In the top-right corner, there’s a Settings icon where you can customize your workspace, configure shortcuts, and manage your AI models. Cursor lets you switch between models like GPT-4 and Claude 3.5. You can even integrate API keys from services like OpenAI or Anthropic to use your preferred model. The AI Chat Panel lets you ask questions or get coding assistance. Whether you need help debugging, explanations for complex functions, or new code generation, the AI is ready to assist. Another shortcut lets you describe the code you want, and Cursor will generate it for you. The AI autocomplete predicts your next steps even across multiple lines, reducing errors and saving time by suggesting complete code blocks. That’s the complete overview of Cursor’s interface, blending everything familiar from VS Code with powerful AI features to help you code faster and more efficiently.

Kevin Kernegger

Full Course - Early Access

Discount for the first 100 students