Cursor AI
The Workflow
9 steps · click a step number to mark it done
Open Cursor AI and have it ready before you start
Download, install, and launch Cursor AI (free version works for this tutorial)
Create a new empty project folder via File > Open Folder and select a location on your computer
Enable the Composer feature: open File > Preferences > Cursor Settings > Features and toggle Composer to Enabled
Open Composer with Ctrl+I (Cmd+I on Mac) and enter a detailed prompt: "Create a full‑stack web app using Express (Node.js) backend, SQLite for data storage, and a Tailwind‑styled HTML frontend that lets users add, view, edit, and delete recipes."
Press Enter and wait while Cursor AI generates all necessary files (server.js, package.json, db.js, index.html, tailwind.css, etc.)
Review the generated diff list and click “Accept All” to apply the changes to your project
Open the Chat panel with Ctrl+L (Cmd+L on Mac), add the server.js file to the context, and ask for a refinement such as "Add input validation for recipe fields"
Apply the suggested diff, then open the integrated terminal, run `npm install` and `node server.js` to start the app and verify it works
Use inline completions: type a comment or partial line in any file, accept the suggestion with Tab, and quickly scaffold additional UI components or routes