How to Use Cursor for a 30-Minute Python Project

If you're like me, you've probably found yourself staring at a blank screen, wondering how to kick off your next Python project. You want to ship something quickly, but the thought of setting everything up feels overwhelming. Enter Cursor AI—a tool that can significantly speed up your coding process. In this article, I'll show you how to use Cursor for a simple Python project in just 30 minutes, along with some honest insights on its capabilities and limitations.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, you’ll need a few things ready:

• Python Installed: Make sure you have Python (3.7 or higher) installed on your machine.
• Cursor AI Account: Sign up for Cursor AI at cursor.so (Free plan available).
• Basic Python Knowledge: Familiarity with Python syntax will help, but even beginners can follow along.

Time Estimate

You can finish this project in about 30 minutes if you follow the steps closely.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Setting Up Cursor AI

1. Open Cursor AI: Launch the Cursor application.
2. Create a New Project: Click on "New Project" and select "Python" as your language.
3. Explore the Interface: Familiarize yourself with the features—code suggestions, documentation lookup, and error detection.

Step 2: Define Your Project

For this tutorial, we’ll create a simple To-Do List CLI Application. The app will allow users to add, view, and delete tasks.

1. Outline Your Features:
   • Add a task
   • View all tasks
   • Delete a task

Step 3: Writing the Code

1. Start Coding: In your main file (let's call it todo.py), start writing the code. You can use Cursor’s AI suggestions to speed this up.

   tasks = []
   
   def add_task(task):
       tasks.append(task)
       print(f'Task "{task}" added.')
   
   def view_tasks():
       if not tasks:
           print("No tasks available.")
       else:
           for idx, task in enumerate(tasks):
               print(f"{idx + 1}: {task}")
   
   def delete_task(task_index):
       try:
           removed_task = tasks.pop(task_index - 1)
           print(f'Task "{removed_task}" deleted.')
       except IndexError:
           print("Invalid task number.")
   

2. Implement User Interaction: Add a simple loop to interact with the user.

   while True:
       action = input("Choose an action (add/view/delete/exit): ").strip().lower()
       if action == 'add':
           task = input("Enter the task: ")
           add_task(task)
       elif action == 'view':
           view_tasks()
       elif action == 'delete':
           index = int(input("Enter task number to delete: "))
           delete_task(index)
       elif action == 'exit':
           break
       else:
           print("Invalid action.")
   

Step 4: Testing Your Application

1. Run Your Code: In the terminal, navigate to your project directory and run:

   python todo.py
   

2. Interact: Test adding, viewing, and deleting tasks to ensure everything works as intended.

Step 5: Troubleshooting

• Common Issues: If you encounter errors, Cursor AI can help by providing suggestions and documentation links.
• What Could Go Wrong: If you can't add tasks, check if you're using the correct function parameters. Cursor's error detection should highlight issues.

What's Next?

Once you've got your basic To-Do List app working, consider expanding it by adding features like task persistence (saving tasks to a file) or implementing a graphical user interface (GUI).

Conclusion

Using Cursor AI, you can rapidly develop a simple Python project in just 30 minutes. This tool is particularly beneficial for indie hackers and solo founders looking to prototype ideas quickly. Start by creating your project, follow the steps outlined, and leverage Cursor's features to streamline your coding experience.

What We Actually Use

In our experience, we prefer Cursor for quick prototyping and debugging thanks to its AI suggestions. However, for larger projects, we often switch to more robust IDEs like PyCharm for additional features.