Cursor Editor - VS Code with GPT Built-In

Chris Titus Tech
5 Apr 202412:11

TLDRThe video introduces Cursor Editor, an AI-powered extension of VS Code that enhances coding efficiency. It highlights features like code explanation, documentation, and unique use cases for learning and debugging. The presenter demonstrates how to utilize Cursor's capabilities with C programming and Markdown files, emphasizing its value as a learning tool and its potential to streamline development tasks. The video also touches on the possibility of integrating similar functionalities into VS Code in the future.

Takeaways

  • 💻 The Cursor Editor is essentially VS Code with built-in GPT, allowing for a more integrated coding experience.
  • 🔗 It can be downloaded for free from the website 'cursor.sh', which is a convenient way to avoid opening a browser tab.
  • 🛠️ The editor is not just for programming; it also supports unique use cases such as editing markdown files.
  • 🤖 AI is utilized as a learning tool, by examining and explaining someone else's well-written code, which can be very helpful for understanding complex codebases.
  • 📚 The 'explain this code' feature is particularly useful for understanding unfamiliar functions or code segments.
  • 🔑 Customization options are available, such as using your own API or OpenAI key for more frequent use cases.
  • 📝 The editor can generate new content, like articles, based on provided prompts and can be guided with specific documents for more accurate results.
  • 🖋️ Features like 'co-pilot Plus+' and 'AI chat understanding and debugging' are highlighted as key to the editor's functionality.
  • 🗂️ The ability to add documents with the '@' symbol for reference improves the accuracy of AI-generated content.
  • 📖 The script demonstrates the process of creating a markdown file and using the editor to generate an article about the Cursor Editor itself.
  • 🔍 The video transcript also mentions potential future developments, such as similar functionalities being integrated into VS Code or other extensions.

Q & A

  • What is the name of the AI editor mentioned in the video?

    -The AI editor mentioned in the video is called 'Cursor Editor'.

  • How can one download the Cursor Editor?

    -You can download the Cursor Editor for free by visiting the website 'cursor.sh' or clicking the link provided in the video description.

  • What is the primary purpose of the Cursor Editor according to the video?

    -The primary purpose of the Cursor Editor is to enhance coding efficiency by integrating AI capabilities into VS Code, allowing for faster development and learning.

  • How does the video describe the use of AI in learning to code?

    -The video describes the use of AI as a great learning tool, where one can examine and understand someone else's well-written code by asking the AI to explain it.

  • What keyboard shortcut does the video mention for explaining code in the Cursor Editor?

    -The video mentions using 'Control K' to explain code in the Cursor Editor.

  • What is a unique use case of the Cursor Editor demonstrated in the video?

    -A unique use case demonstrated in the video is using the Cursor Editor to understand and document complex functions in a C project, especially when the user is not familiar with the language.

  • Can the Cursor Editor be customized with a personal API or Open AI key?

    -Yes, the Cursor Editor allows customization with the use of a personal API or Open AI key for those who wish to utilize GPT 4 or other models.

  • What is the video creator's opinion on using AI for writing large functions?

    -The video creator believes that while AI can assist in writing functions, it makes more mistakes than it gets right, especially in large files, and suggests breaking the task into smaller parts for better analysis.

  • How does the Cursor Editor help with writing in languages other than programming?

    -The Cursor Editor can help with writing in languages other than programming by generating text based on prompts and providing autocomplete suggestions, which is useful for writing articles or documentation.

  • What feature of the Cursor Editor is shown to be useful for writing SQL commands?

    -The 'Control K write terminal commands in plain English' feature of the Cursor Editor is mentioned as incredibly useful for writing SQL commands, although the video creator has not personally tried it yet.

  • What does the video suggest for users who want to try out the Cursor Editor for web UI development?

    -The video suggests that users can try using the Cursor Editor for web UI development by feeding it images or designs from tools like Figma and seeing how well it can generate example code.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Introduction to Cursor: An AI-Enhanced VS Code Editor

This paragraph introduces Cursor, an AI editor integrated into VS Code with GPT capabilities. The speaker discusses how Cursor helps streamline coding tasks without the need to open a browser, highlighting its utility for both programming and learning. They demonstrate how Cursor can be used to analyze and document code, making it easier to understand complex functions, especially when working with unfamiliar or undocumented code. The focus is on the benefits of using AI as a learning tool rather than solely for automating code writing.

05:01

🤔 Challenges and Solutions with Cursor AI

In this section, the speaker addresses some challenges encountered while using Cursor, particularly when it misinterprets commands, such as confusing code editing with cursor customization. They demonstrate how to correct such errors by refining the input and utilizing specific documents to guide the AI's responses. The speaker also discusses different AI models within Cursor, such as GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, and how to choose between them depending on the task's complexity. The emphasis is on customizing the AI's functionality for better accuracy and efficiency.

10:02

🚀 Expanding Cursor's Capabilities and Future Prospects

This paragraph explores additional features of Cursor, including its ability to integrate with existing VS Code extensions and streamline workflow. The speaker speculates on the future of such tools, predicting that similar capabilities may soon be embedded directly into VS Code or through third-party extensions. They express satisfaction with Cursor's current ease of use but acknowledge the potential for future developments that might make it obsolete. The paragraph ends with a demonstration of Cursor's ability to generate content quickly, though it requires fine-tuning before publication.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cursor Editor

Cursor Editor is a term used to describe an AI-integrated code editor, which in this context is essentially Visual Studio Code (VS Code) with built-in GPT capabilities. It is highlighted in the video as a tool that can be downloaded for free and is designed to streamline the coding process by eliminating the need to open a browser tab for AI assistance. The video demonstrates how it can be utilized for programming and other tasks, such as editing markdown files.

💡VS Code

VS Code, or Visual Studio Code, is a popular source code editor developed by Microsoft. It is known for its robust feature set, including support for many programming languages and frameworks, as well as customizability through extensions. In the video, VS Code is the base upon which the Cursor Editor is built, integrating GPT to enhance coding efficiency.

💡GPT

GPT, which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a type of artificial intelligence that is used in the Cursor Editor. It is capable of generating human-like text based on the input it receives. In the video, GPT is used to explain code, write documentation, and assist in creating content, showcasing its utility as a learning and productivity tool in coding and content creation.

💡Markdown

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used for creating formatted text. It is popular among writers and developers for its simplicity and readability. In the video, the presenter uses markdown files to demonstrate the capabilities of the Cursor Editor, such as generating new content and explaining existing code.

💡Co-pilot

In the context of the video, 'Co-pilot' refers to an AI feature within the Cursor Editor that assists in coding by providing autocompletion suggestions. It is mentioned as being useful for writing code line by line, but less reliable for larger blocks of code.

💡Control K

Control K is a keyboard shortcut mentioned in the video that, when used within the Cursor Editor, triggers the AI to perform specific tasks such as explaining code or generating documentation. It is a key feature that demonstrates the integration of AI with coding workflows.

💡Documentation

Documentation in coding refers to the process of providing written explanations about the code, its functionality, and how it works. In the video, the Cursor Editor's ability to generate documentation is highlighted as a way to understand and maintain code, especially when working with others or picking up someone else's code.

💡AI Chat

AI Chat is a feature within the Cursor Editor that allows users to interact with the AI through a chat interface. It is used for understanding and debugging code, as well as for generating content. The video shows how AI Chat can be used to ask for explanations or generate new content based on provided documents.

💡Terminal

The terminal, also known as the command line interface, is a feature in many operating systems that allows users to interact with the system through text-based commands. In the video, the presenter mentions the potential of using the Cursor Editor to write terminal commands in plain English, although it is not demonstrated.

💡Hugo

Hugo is a static site generator that is used for creating websites with markdown files. In the video, the presenter uses Hugo to create a new post on their website, demonstrating how the Cursor Editor can be used in conjunction with Hugo to generate content efficiently.

Highlights

Cursor Editor is a free download, integrating VS Code with GPT for enhanced coding experience.

It allows for faster coding without the need to open a browser tab for VS Code.

Cursor can be used for programming as well as editing markdown files.

AI in Cursor is used as a learning tool to examine and explain code.

Highlighting a function and using 'explain this code' provides documentation and understanding.

Cursor's AI can help understand complex code by providing explanations for specific functions.

Users can choose between different GPT models for various tasks.

Cursor is useful for explaining code and adding documentation, especially for large projects.

For large files, breaking down the code into smaller files can improve AI's analysis.

Cursor is also beneficial for learning new languages and writing functions.

AI can generate text for markdown files, but may require corrections for accuracy.

Cursor allows adding specific documents to the AI for more accurate and relevant responses.

Features like 'co-pilot Plus+' and 'control L' are essential for code understanding and debugging.

Cursor's terminal control feature is useful for writing SQL commands.

Images can be used to prompt the AI for web UI development.

Cursor is expected to have a VS Code extension with similar functionality in the future.

Cursor's ease of use and workflow are currently unmatched by other tools.

The article generated by Cursor requires a fine-tooth comb before publishing for accuracy.