Creating Your First Cursor Project

Tutorial Video

Overview

The first step in using Cursor for programming is to create or import a project. This guide will help you understand how to create new projects, import existing ones, and perform basic file operations in Cursor. Through these steps, you'll be able to quickly start your coding journey and make full use of Cursor's AI assistance features.

Creating a New Project

1. Launch Cursor:

   • Open the Cursor application.

2. Access New Project Options:

   • Click "Open File"
   • In the popup file explorer, create a new folder
   • Enter the folder name

3. Create:

   • Double-click to select the folder you just created, and the project will open in Cursor

Importing Existing Projects

1. Open Project Folder:

   • Click "File" > "Open Folder"

2. Select Project Folder:

   • Navigate to your existing project's root directory.
   • Select the folder and click "Choose Folder"

3. Wait for Cursor to Load the Project:

   • Cursor will scan project files and load necessary information.
   • If it's a Git repository, Cursor will automatically recognize and enable version control features.

Basic File Operations

Creating New Files

1. Right-click on a folder in the file explorer.
2. Select "New File".
3. Enter the filename (including extension).
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Editing Files

1. Double-click a file in the file explorer to open it.
2. Make modifications in the editing area.
3. Use Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+S (macOS) to save changes.

Deleting Files

1. Right-click the file you want to delete.
2. Select "Delete".
3. Confirm the deletion.

Renaming Files

1. Right-click the file you want to rename.
2. Select "Rename".
3. Enter the new name and press Enter to confirm.

Using AI Assistance Features

After creating or opening a file, you can start using Cursor's AI assistance features:

1. Code Completion:
   • Start typing code, and Cursor will automatically provide intelligent completion suggestions, like

Version Control Integration

If your project uses Git:

1. Cursor automatically recognizes Git repositories.
2. You can perform commit, push, pull, and other operations directly in the interface.
3. Use the built-in diff viewer to view changes.

It's recommended to use Git for version control, see this post for details: Cursor+Git

Conclusion

Through these steps, you've learned how to create new projects or import existing ones in Cursor, as well as perform basic file operations. As you delve deeper into using Cursor, you'll discover how its AI assistance features can significantly improve your coding efficiency.

Remember, Cursor's power lies in its AI assistance features. Don't hesitate to try various AI-related features like code generation, explanation, and refactoring. These tools will help you write code faster and smarter.