Cursor Implementation Guide: Avoiding AI Pitfalls

This guide will help you set up Cursor to avoid common AI pitfalls identified in Martin Fowler's "Exploring Generative AI" series. The pitfalls are particularly relevant to AI-assisted software development and can lead to unmaintainable code or wasted effort if not addressed.

Key AI Pitfalls to Address

Based on the observations in Martin Fowler's article, these are the key pitfalls we're addressing:

1. Going too broad instead of incremental: AI tends to implement everything at once rather than working in small, functional slices
2. Brute-force solutions: AI often applies quick fixes instead of diagnosing root causes
3. Insufficient test coverage: AI may not prioritize adequate testing
4. Inconsistent patterns: AI might not follow existing project conventions
5. Poor modularity: AI sometimes fails to maintain clean separation of concerns

Setting Up Cursor

1. Installation and Configuration

1. If you haven't already, install Cursor from cursor.sh
2. Create a custom configuration file for your project:

mkdir -p .cursor
touch .cursor/settings.json

3. Copy the configuration from the cursor-ai-rules.js file into your project

2. Custom Prompts

Cursor allows you to create custom prompts. Set up the following:

1. Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl+,)
2. Go to "AI" section
3. Under "Custom Commands", add these commands:

• Incremental Implementation:

  • Name: "Implement Incrementally"
  • Prompt: "Rewrite this to implement just a small vertical slice that can work end-to-end, rather than implementing everything at once."

• Root Cause Analysis:

  • Name: "Diagnose Root Cause"
  • Prompt: "Analyze this error and identify the root cause rather than suggesting a quick fix. Explain your reasoning."

• Improve Test Coverage:

  • Name: "Add Tests"
  • Prompt: "Add comprehensive tests for this code, including edge cases and error conditions."

3. Project-Specific Configuration

For each project, create a .cursorrc file in your project root with the following content:

{
  "ai": {
    "customInstructions": "Follow these guidelines when generating code: 1) Implement incrementally using vertical slices, 2) Focus on diagnosing root causes rather than quick fixes, 3) Include tests for all new functionality, 4) Follow existing patterns in the codebase, 5) Maintain clean separation of concerns and high cohesion.",
    "contextSize": 20000,
    "reviewMode": true
  }
}

Practical Implementation

Workflow Guidelines

1. Start Small: When implementing new features, ask Cursor to focus on one component at a time

/Implement Incrementally: Create just the user authentication component with a working login form

2. Debug Properly: When fixing issues, ask for diagnosis before solutions

/Diagnose Root Cause: The application crashes when submitting the form with empty fields

3. Review Generated Code: Always review AI-generated code with these questions in mind:
   • Is this implementing too much at once?
   • Is it addressing symptoms rather than root causes?
   • Does it include adequate tests?
   • Does it follow our project patterns?
   • Is there clear separation of concerns?

Team Practices

1. Code Review Checklist: Add the AI pitfalls to your team's code review checklist
2. Pair Programming: Consider pairing when working with AI to catch issues early
3. Document Patterns: Maintain clear documentation of your project patterns to guide AI
4. Incremental Commits: Use small, focused commits even when using AI assistance

Further Customization

The configuration files provided are starting points. Adjust them based on your specific project needs:

1. Modify rule parameters in the configuration
2. Create additional custom prompts for your workflow
3. Update review criteria based on your team's standards

Remember that these rules are guides to help you use AI more effectively - they don't replace good engineering judgment.

Resources

• Cursor Documentation
• Martin Fowler's Gen AI Exploration
• ThoughtWorks AI-Assisted Software Delivery