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Cursor IDE Mastery · Day 5 of 5 ~40 minutes

Day 5: Advanced Cursor: Workflows for Real Projects

Individual features are useful. A daily workflow that makes you consistently 2-3x faster is transformational. Build the habits and workflows that compound over time.

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Day 5
What You'll Build

A personal Cursor workflow document: keyboard shortcuts memorized, a project setup checklist with .cursorrules template, and a decision tree for which Cursor feature to use in any situation.

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Section 1 · 10 min

The Keyboard Shortcuts That Matter

You don't need to memorize every shortcut. These six cover 90% of daily Cursor use:

textCore Cursor Shortcuts
Tab         → Accept AI completion
Escape      → Reject AI completion
Cmd+K       → Inline edit selected code
Cmd+L       → Open/focus Chat
Cmd+Shift+I → Open Composer
Cmd+Shift+L → Add selection to Chat

# Also useful:
Cmd+.       → Quick fix / apply suggestion
@           → In chat: open @mention picker

Spend 15 minutes intentionally practicing each shortcut until they're automatic. Speed comes from muscle memory, not reading documentation.

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Section 2 · 10 min

Feature Implementation Workflow

When you need to implement a new feature, this workflow minimizes wasted effort:

textFeature Implementation Workflow
1. PLAN (Chat):
   @Codebase "I want to add [feature].
   Where should I put it? What existing code is relevant?
   What's the right architecture?"

2. IMPLEMENT (Composer):
   Write a specific Composer prompt using the plan from step 1.
   Include constraints. Reference existing files with @mentions.

3. REVIEW (you):
   Read every generated file. Check against your .cursorrules.
   Note anything wrong.

4. FIX (Cmd+K or Chat):
   Use Cmd+K for specific file edits.
   Use Chat to understand and fix anything wrong.

5. TEST (Composer):
   "Add tests for the feature in @routes/new_feature.py"
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Section 3 · 20 min

Cursor for Legacy Code and Code Review

Two high-value workflows that most developers don't think to use Cursor for:

Understanding legacy code:

textLegacy Code Workflow
# In Chat with the file open:
"Read this entire file and tell me:
1. What does it do overall?
2. What are the 3 most important functions?
3. What's confusing or poorly written?
4. What would I need to know to modify this safely?"

Pre-commit code review:

textCode Review Prompt
# In Chat with changed files selected:
"Review these changes before I commit.
Check for:
- Security issues (injection, exposure of secrets, auth bypass)
- Performance problems (N+1 queries, unnecessary loops)
- Edge cases I'm not handling
- Anything that will break other parts of the codebase

@git show me what changed."

Running this review before every commit takes 5 minutes and catches the kinds of bugs that waste hours in production. Make it a non-negotiable step in your workflow.

What You Learned Today

  • The six core Cursor shortcuts that cover 90% of daily use — memorize these first
  • The five-step feature implementation workflow: plan → implement → review → fix → test
  • How to use Cursor for legacy code understanding: structured questions that build mental models
  • The pre-commit code review workflow: security, performance, edge cases, codebase impact
Your Challenge

Go Further on Your Own

  • Implement your next feature from scratch using only the 5-step workflow above. Time how long it takes vs. your normal approach.
  • Write a team onboarding document for Cursor: what would a new developer on your team need to know to use it effectively from day one?
  • After one week of using Cursor with a proper .cursorrules file, note: what are the top 3 ways it's made you faster? What still frustrates you?
Day 5 Complete

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