Cursor AI - The Future of Coding

Ben Attanasio
17 Feb 202404:56

TLDRIn this tutorial, Ben demonstrates creating a speech-to-text web app using Cursor AI, a tool that offers AI capabilities similar to VS Code. He guides viewers through setting up the project with a prompt, which automatically generates the necessary files and code. After a brief wait, the app is tested and successfully transcribes speech with a toggle button. Ben also showcases advanced features like using markdown files as reusable prompts for code cleanup and bug fixes, highlighting Cursor AI's potential for rapid custom app development. He advises monitoring OpenAI API usage and considering a pro subscription for unlimited GPT 4 generations.

Takeaways

  • 🌐 Ben demonstrates building a speech-to-text web app using Cursor AI, a tool with AI capabilities similar to VS Code.
  • 📝 The process begins by creating a new AI project with a specific prompt that defines the app's requirements.
  • 🔍 Cursor AI automatically generates the project's file structure and code based on the provided prompt.
  • ⏱ The file generation process is quick, taking under 2 minutes in the example shown.
  • 🛠️ After generation, the user follows steps in the README to set up and test the app, including installing dependencies and starting a server.
  • 🎙️ The app includes a button to toggle speech-to-text functionality using the browser's built-in speech recognition.
  • 👍 The demonstration shows that the app works as intended, with speech being transcribed accurately.
  • 🛑 The video also showcases a feature that censors inappropriate language, enhancing user experience.
  • 📝 The script mentions the importance of saving prompts and using them for code cleanup and bug fixes with Cursor AI.
  • 🔧 The user can utilize markdown files as reusable prompts to instruct Cursor AI on specific actions to take on the code.
  • 🤖 An 'AI fix and chat' feature is highlighted, allowing users to interact with a chatbot-like interface to resolve coding errors.
  • ⚠️ The video advises monitoring OpenAI API usage due to potential limitations and suggests considering a pro subscription for unlimited GPT 4 generations.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is building a speech to text web app using Cursor AI, which is a tool with AI capabilities similar to VS Code.

  • What is Cursor AI?

    -Cursor AI is a project similar to VS Code that provides additional AI capabilities to assist in coding and project development.

  • What is the purpose of the prompt in the video?

    -The prompt is used by Cursor AI to understand the user's project requirements and to generate the necessary files and file structure for the project.

  • What programming environment and tools are mentioned for building the speech to text web app?

    -Node.js, Express, and the built-in browser speech recognition are mentioned as the tools for building the speech to text web app.

  • How does the video demonstrate the creation of the speech to text web app?

    -The video demonstrates the creation of the app by showing the process of using Cursor AI to generate the project files and structure, and then running the app to test its functionality.

  • What is the significance of the 'run-cleanup' markdown file mentioned in the video?

    -The 'run-cleanup' markdown file serves as a reusable prompt for Cursor AI to perform general code clean up and bug fixes on the user's code.

  • What does the video suggest for users who want to refine their code using Cursor AI?

    -The video suggests using markdown files as prompts to guide Cursor AI in performing specific actions such as refactoring repeated code into functions or fixing errors.

  • What is the role of the 'control K' shortcut in the video?

    -The 'control K' shortcut is used to invoke the markdown file prompt in Cursor AI, allowing the user to apply the actions outlined in the markdown file to their code.

  • What is the AI fix and chat feature shown in the video?

    -The AI fix and chat feature is a chatbot-like session within Cursor that helps to resolve coding errors by suggesting or implementing fixes.

  • What advice does the video give regarding the use of Cursor AI's AI capabilities?

    -The video advises users to monitor their Open AI API calls due to the high usage rate and to consider upgrading to a pro Cursor subscription for unlimited GPT-4 generations.

  • What is the final outcome of the demonstration in the video?

    -The final outcome is a working speech to text web app created using Cursor AI, showcasing its ability to generate code and fix errors efficiently.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Building a Speech-to-Text Web App with Cursor AI

In this video, Ben demonstrates the creation of a speech-to-text web application using Cursor AI. He starts by explaining that Cursor AI is similar to Visual Studio Code but with added AI capabilities. Ben guides viewers through the process of creating a new AI project, entering a prompt for Cursor to generate the project and file structure. The prompt includes building a web app with a toggle button for speech-to-text functionality using Node.js, Express, and the browser's built-in speech recognition. After Cursor generates the files and writes the code, Ben suggests taking a break while the process completes. Once done, he follows the steps in the README to ensure the app works, which includes cloning the repository, navigating to the correct directory, installing dependencies, and starting the server. The video concludes with a successful demonstration of the app's functionality and a mention of Cursor's ability to censor inappropriate language.

🔧 Refining Code with Cursor AI's AI-Powered Features

The second part of the video focuses on advanced features of Cursor AI, such as saving prompts as markdown files and using them to run actions on code. Ben introduces an expert, McKay Wriggley, who uses a markdown file as a reusable prompt to perform general clean-up and bug fixes on his TypeScript file with errors. McKay demonstrates how to use the markdown file to refactor repeated code into a function and clean up the code. However, when an error persists, he uses Cursor's 'AI fix and chat' feature, which opens a chat-like session to resolve the issue. Ben emphasizes the importance of refining initial prompts and markdown files to create a dynamic system for rapid app development. He also advises viewers to monitor their OpenAI API usage and consider a pro Cursor subscription for unlimited GPT 4 generations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cursor AI

Cursor AI is a powerful coding assistant that integrates with Visual Studio Code, providing developers with AI-driven capabilities to enhance coding efficiency. In the video, Ben demonstrates how to use Cursor AI to build a speech-to-text web application, showcasing its ability to generate project files and code based on a given prompt.

💡Speech to Text

Speech to Text refers to the technology that converts spoken language into written text. In the context of the video, Ben builds a web application that uses the browser's built-in speech recognition feature to toggle speech to text functionality on or off, demonstrating the practical application of this technology.

💡Node.js

Node.js is a cross-platform, open-source JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a browser. In the video, Ben uses Node.js to create a server for the speech-to-text web app, which is essential for handling the communication between the client-side application and the server.

💡Express

Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for building single and multi-page, and hybrid web applications. In the video, Ben utilizes Express to set up the server for the speech-to-text web app, streamlining the process of handling HTTP requests and responses.

💡Web App

A Web App, or web application, is a software program that runs on a web browser, utilizing client-side and server-side technologies. In the video, Ben creates a speech-to-text web app using Cursor AI, which is a type of web application that can be accessed through a browser.

💡File Structure

File Structure refers to the way files and folders are organized within a project. In the video, Cursor AI automatically generates a file structure for the speech-to-text web app based on the provided prompt, which helps in maintaining the organization and modularity of the project.

💡Prompt

In the context of AI, a prompt is a statement or question provided to elicit a response from the system. Ben uses a specific prompt to guide Cursor AI in creating the project files and code for the speech-to-text web app, highlighting the interactive nature of AI-assisted coding.

💡AI Project

An AI Project is a development initiative that incorporates artificial intelligence capabilities to perform tasks more efficiently. In the video, Ben creates a new AI project using Cursor AI, which involves leveraging AI to automate the setup and coding process for the web application.

💡Refactor

Refactoring is the process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior to improve nonfunctional attributes of the software. In the video, Ben mentions using Cursor AI to refactor repeated code into a function, demonstrating the tool's ability to optimize code quality.

💡API Calls

API Calls, or Application Programming Interface calls, are requests made to an API to perform certain operations or retrieve data. In the video, Ben notes that Cursor AI consumes OpenAI API calls quickly, suggesting the need for monitoring and potentially upgrading to a pro subscription for unlimited usage.

💡Markdown

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used for creating formatted text using a simple syntax. In the video, Ben refers to a 'run-cleanup' markdown file as a reusable prompt for Cursor AI, which outlines the actions to be taken on the code, such as cleaning up and bug fixing.

Highlights

Introduction to building a speech to text web app using Cursor AI.

Cursor AI is compared to VS Code but with added AI capabilities.

Creating a new AI project with a prompt to guide the project creation.

The prompt includes building a web app with a toggle button for speech to text using Node.js, Express, and browser speech recognition.

Cursor generates the project files and file structure based on the prompt.

Recommendation not to interact with the interface while Cursor is generating files.

Cursor completes the project generation in under 2 minutes.

Following the steps in the README to verify the app's functionality.

Instructions for cloning the repo and navigating to the correct directory.

Installing dependencies using npm install for the app.

Starting the server with npm start to run the speech to text app.

The server runs on Port 3000, and the app can be accessed via a browser.

Demonstration of the speech to text toggle functionality in the app.

Cursor's ability to censor speech in real-time is showcased.

Invitation to an expert, McKay Wriggley, to demonstrate advanced features of Cursor AI.

Using markdown files as reusable prompts for Cursor to perform actions on code.

Example of refactoring repeated code into a function using Cursor's dry code feature.

Cursor's AI fix and chat feature to resolve coding errors through a chat interface.

The potential of creating and refining prompts and markdown files for rapid app creation.

The need to refine initial prompts for accurate project generation.

Cursor's consumption of OpenAI API calls and the suggestion to monitor usage.

Recommendation to consider a pro Cursor subscription for unlimited GPT 4 generations.

Conclusion of the video with an invitation for questions and a sign-off.

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