AI Developer Cookbook

Welcome to the AI Developer Cookbook – your comprehensive collection of practical recipes for leveraging Cursor IDE and Claude Code in real-world development scenarios. This cookbook provides battle-tested patterns, workflows, and techniques for maximizing productivity across various programming languages, frameworks, and development tasks.

What’s in This Cookbook?

This cookbook is organized by technology stack and use case, providing you with ready-to-use patterns for:

Frontend Development: React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, and mobile frameworks
Backend Development: Node.js, Python, Elixir, PHP, Java, Go, and Rust
Database Operations: SQL optimization, NoSQL patterns, ORM usage, and migrations
DevOps Workflows: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines
Error Handling: Debugging strategies, logging patterns, and recovery techniques

Each recipe includes:

Problem Context: The specific challenge or task
Solution Pattern: Step-by-step approach using Cursor/Claude Code
Code Examples: Practical implementations
Pro Tips: Advanced techniques and optimizations
Common Pitfalls: What to avoid and why

How to Use This Cookbook

Choose Your Technology Stack Browse to the section matching your current project’s technology
Find Your Use Case Each section contains common scenarios and patterns for that technology
Follow the Recipe Apply the step-by-step instructions, adapting them to your specific needs
Iterate and Improve Use the pro tips to optimize your workflow and avoid common mistakes

Recipe Categories

Frontend Recipes React, Vue, Angular, Next.js patterns for UI development with AI assistance

Backend Recipes Server-side patterns for Node.js, Python, Elixir, and more

Database Recipes SQL, NoSQL, ORM patterns and migration strategies

DevOps Recipes Container, orchestration, and infrastructure patterns

Error Handling Recipes Debugging, logging, and recovery patterns

Core Principles

1. Context is King

Always provide comprehensive context to your AI assistant:

Project structure and conventions
Existing patterns in your codebase
Technical requirements and constraints
Business logic and domain knowledge

2. Iterative Development

Work in small, manageable chunks:

Break complex features into subtasks
Use checkpoints in Cursor for safe experimentation
Leverage Claude Code’s planning capabilities
Review and refine AI-generated code

3. Tool Synergy

Combine the strengths of both tools:

Use Cursor for real-time pair programming
Use Claude Code for complex autonomous tasks
Integrate MCP servers for extended capabilities
Switch between tools based on task requirements

4. Quality Assurance

Maintain high code quality:

Always review AI-generated code
Implement comprehensive testing
Use AI for code reviews and improvements
Document patterns and decisions

Getting Started

If you’re new to AI-assisted development, we recommend starting with these foundational recipes:

Setting Up Your Environment

Configure Cursor IDE and Claude Code for optimal performance with your tech stack

First AI-Assisted Feature

Build your first feature using the PRD → Plan → Todo workflow

Testing Patterns

Generate comprehensive tests and maintain quality standards

Refactoring Legacy Code

Safely modernize existing codebases with AI assistance

Contributing Recipes

This cookbook grows with community contributions. If you’ve discovered effective patterns or workflows, consider sharing them:

Document Your Pattern: Clearly describe the problem and solution
Include Examples: Provide real code samples and prompts
Share Learnings: Include what worked and what didn’t
Stay Practical: Focus on actionable, reproducible techniques

Quick Reference

Common Cursor Commands

Cmd/Ctrl + K: Inline code generation
Cmd/Ctrl + L: Open chat for current file
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L: Chat with entire codebase context
Cmd/Ctrl + E: Background agent panel

Essential Claude Code Commands

/init: Initialize project context
/think: Deep reasoning mode
/clear: Start fresh conversation
/memory: Update project knowledge

Workflow Patterns

PRD → Plan → Todo: For new features
Document → Test → Implement: For TDD approach
Analyze → Refactor → Verify: For code improvements
Debug → Fix → Test: For issue resolution

Ready to dive in? Select your technology stack from the categories above and start cooking with AI!