Cursor
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that integrates artificial-intelligence assistance into software development.
Coding with AI
Cursor is an AI-assisted code editor that supports software development through natural-language interaction and code generation.
- How it is used
- Supports fast natural-language prototyping, experimentation, and learning with supervised AI agents.
- How deep it goes
- Demonstrates agent modes, project context, prompting, generated revisions, and diff review; notes manual work on larger applications.
- Examples
- Uses a Python Frogger-style game, then fixes overlapping logs through a plain-English request and reviewed diff.
- What you can do after
- Apply it to prototype and revise small applications through prompts while reviewing agent-generated changes.
Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition
Cursor is an AI-native integrated development environment that assists with writing, editing, testing, and refactoring code.
- How it is used
- Positions Cursor as an interactive IDE agent for collaborative software development.
- How deep it goes
- Explains Cursor’s agent workflow and supported tasks without descending into model internals or implementation details.
- Examples
- Uses adding OAuth support, writing tests, refactoring functions, and high-level multi-step requests as examples.
- What you can do after
- Operate Cursor to delegate bounded editing, testing, and refactoring tasks while retaining human oversight.
Read how Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition explains Cursor →
Related concepts
- AI assistanceuses · AI assistance is the use of artificial-intelligence systems to support or augment human work, including software development tasks such as generating, analyzing, or modifying code.
- IDEuses · An integrated development environment (IDE) is a software application that combines source-code editing with tools for developing, building, running, or debugging programs.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.

