my thoughts about Cursor IDE · Indie App Dev Forum

my thoughts about Cursor IDE

hi all 👋 i shared a thread on twitter and wanted to share it in here as well since i think some of guys may be interested:

twitter link: https://x.com/verderveremem/status/1841523383097331962

1️⃣ I've been developing my new app using Cursor AI, and I can't wait to share the pros and cons with you in this thread. For those who don't want to read it all: I highly recommend it!!

2️⃣ For those who don't know, Cursor is an AI-powered IDE based on VS Code. You can import your settings, extensions, etc., when you install Cursor—which is great!

3️⃣ I'm using Cursor to develop a Flutter application. While it's not yet convenient for Android and iOS development—since there are no extensions for Android Studio or Xcode—you can copy and paste code from Cursor for now. I believe official extensions will come soon.

4️⃣ For Flutter development, it's incredibly useful. Let's dive into how I used it, starting with the pros:

5️⃣ If you're familiar with your framework—be it Flutter, JS, or others—Cursor will be very helpful. First, to use it efficiently, enable "Composer" mode (disabled by default). Press Cmd+Shift+P and search for "Composer" in the IDE.

6️⃣ Composer mode lets you create classes, structures, functions, and more with just one prompt. Then the magic happens ✨. For example, I used the prompt: "Create a detail screen, use provider state management, and implement clean architecture." It generated the necessary code and architecture for me!

7️⃣ Cursor doesn't automatically apply changes; you choose which ones to accept—like merging changes from another branch. If you don't like the generated code, you can delete it, rewrite it yourself, or give a new prompt to have Cursor rewrite it.

8️⃣ Press Cmd+K to do hot fixes or requests in a single line with a prompt—super useful! Plus, pressing Cmd+L lets you interact with a class, adding specific features or making targeted fixes.

9️⃣ You can choose from several AI models; I'm using Sonnet 3.5. Pick the one that suits your needs best.

🔟 You can use Cursor free for 15 days. After that, you'll need to upgrade to a premium account. But don't worry—you'll still have access to some features even if you don't go premium.

1️⃣1️⃣ Now for the negatives (which we developers love to discuss 😄): Sometimes Composer mode gets stuck, doesn't work properly, or generates unrelated code that breaks existing logic. The fix is simple: provide a more detailed prompt!

1️⃣2️⃣ It can't solve complex problems like detailed animations. You'll need to handle those manually. This isn't a Cursor issue but a limitation of current AI models.

1️⃣3️⃣ Last but not least: I developed my app in just 3 days—it would've taken at least 2 weeks without AI! You'll save an enormous amount of time!!

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