An editor built around AI
The assistant is not an add-on to the editor; it has access to the whole project, which helps explore unfamiliar code and work across multiple files.
AI-assisted engineering
Cursor IDE Development: From Context to Verified Code
Cursor IDE development helps developers understand a repository, prepare changes and write code. At Etixio, its value is measured in the work delivered: a correct feature, useful tests and code the team can take over, with human review at every step.
Understanding the technology
A development environment with AI assistance.
Cursor combines a code editing environment with assistant and agent features. Developers can query the project, ask for a proposed change and review the modifications. Depending on the configuration, the agent can also use tools and run commands to move a task forward.
Its usefulness comes from the context provided: relevant files, architecture, conventions and expected outcome. Asking it to “build a feature” without specifying the business rules risks producing plausible code that does not match the product. Our role remains to understand the need, choose the solution and verify its behavior.
The benefits for your project
Why use Cursor IDE on a custom software project?
Cursor is one of the tools we use in our AI-assisted engineering. Its strengths are real when they fit within established quality practices.
A choice of models
Cursor lets you use models from different providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) and choose according to the task, without depending on a single model.
A familiar environment
Compatible with VS Code, its extensions and shortcuts, Cursor can be adopted without disrupting the team’s habits.
Shared project rules
Conventions, test commands and sensitive areas can be described in the repository, so the assistant stays consistent from one developer to the next.
Our scope of work
Three uses that fit into engineering work.
Understanding existing software
During a takeover, we can use the assistant to trace how a piece of data flows, explore calls between components or prepare a review of the tests. Answers are checked against the code and how it runs. This makes exploration easier, without turning a generated explanation into an established diagnosis.
Delivering a well-defined change
Adding a field, changing a calculation rule, adapting an API: the task is described with its constraints and validation criteria. Proposals are reviewed by file and by responsibility. A change that is too broad is split up to keep the review understandable.
Preparing tests and documentation
The tool can suggest test cases, help build datasets or draft initial documentation. We check that the tests cover the expected behaviors, including errors and access rights, rather than simply mirroring the proposed code.
How we use Cursor IDE
The Cursor features we use.
Chat and repository questions
Query the project to understand a component, trace a user flow or explain an error, with the relevant files in context.
Inline and multi-file edits
Proposed changes are presented as diffs, then reviewed and accepted file by file.
Agent mode
Chain several steps (reading, editing, running tests) on a well-defined task, with defined permissions and a final review.
Refactoring and migration
Function extraction, renaming, dependency or framework upgrades, verified by the project’s test suite.
Other tools may be better suited to certain tasks, such as command-line agents. See our article on Claude Code and our thoughts on vibe coding in production.
In the field
Worked example: evolving an order API.
Take an application that needs to allow an order to be canceled under certain conditions. We start by reading the existing flow: possible states, user permissions, effects on inventory and exchanges with other services. The agreed rules become the criteria for the change.
- Prepare the context: files involved, repository conventions and examples of accepted or rejected orders.
- Ask for a change plan, then develop a limited modification and review the diff.
- Check the business cases: order already processed, duplicate request, unauthorized user and external service failure.
- Run the project’s checks, review regressions and have the change approved before merging.
This scenario illustrates how we frame AI assistance. The expected result is a tested, explainable change, not a volume of generated code.
The choices that matter
A framework suited to your data and your team.
Before use, we define which repositories and information are accessible, which tools are allowed and which operations require approval. Project rules can specify conventions, test commands and sensitive areas. They guide the assistant; they do not replace the environment’s permissions and controls.
The terms under which code and data are processed are reviewed for the chosen service and plan. Secrets and production data should not become default context. On a highly sensitive scope, constraints may lead to limiting use of the tool or choosing a different setup.
We assess the benefit on representative tasks: time to deliver and review, defects found, corrections needed and ease of maintenance. Useful adoption depends on the quality of the repository and team practices; it is not just a matter of choosing a model.
From work to deliverables
What Etixio brings to the project.
We can integrate this practice into building a piece of software or support its adoption on an existing repository. The scope is defined with your technical lead: chosen use cases, configuration, project rules, first reviewed tasks and tracking criteria. Your team keeps the decisions, the code and everything needed to continue.
Frequently asked questions
Cursor IDE development: your questions.
What is Cursor IDE?
Cursor is a development environment derived from VS Code and built around AI assistance. It lets you query a project, request changes across multiple files and, in agent mode, chain steps such as running tests. It relies on models from different providers.
Cursor, GitHub Copilot or VS Code, what are the differences?
VS Code is an editor to which AI extensions can be added, including GitHub Copilot, which has also offered an agent mode since 2025. Cursor builds assistance into the core of the editor, with access to the whole project. Command-line agents such as Claude Code or Codex complement these tools. The right choice depends on your security constraints, your habits and the tasks involved; we evaluate it on real cases.
Does Cursor work with every language?
Cursor works with common languages (PHP, JavaScript and TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, Kotlin, Swift…) and their frameworks. The quality of the assistance depends mostly on the context provided and the repository’s conventions.
Is Cursor suitable for teamwork?
Yes, provided project rules, test commands and conventions are shared, and code review remains systematic. Without that framework, the assistant produces inconsistent styles and choices.
Is Cursor suitable for complex or legacy projects?
It helps explore large or poorly documented code and prepare refactorings. Generated explanations are checked against the code and how it runs, and changes are split up to remain reviewable.
What are Cursor’s limitations?
Plausible code is not correct code. Without explicit business rules, tests and review, the assistant introduces errors that are hard to spot. There is also a subscription cost, initial configuration and code confidentiality questions to review.
Is my code safe with Cursor?
How code is processed depends on the plan and options chosen. We review them with you, exclude secrets and production data from the context, and limit use on the most sensitive scopes.
How long does it take to adopt Cursor?
Getting started with the editor is quick for a team used to VS Code. Useful adoption, with suitable project rules and review practices, is built over a few weeks of real work.
Do you use Cursor to build AI solutions?
Cursor supports our engineering, not the delivered product. To integrate AI into your software (agents, document search, extraction), see our AI solutions for business.
What engagement models do you offer?
A fixed-price project or a dedicated team working with these tools within an established quality framework, or targeted support for adopting Cursor on your repository.
Integrating AI into solid engineering practice.
Tell us what you want to build, the users involved and your technical environment. Together we will define the first scope to study.