My First Steps into Vibe Coding with Cursor

Embarking on the journey of coding can be a daunting task, especially for someone without any prior experience. That's where vibe coding comes in - a novel concept that embraces the use of AI tools to simplify the coding process. With the help of Cursor, I've taken my first steps into the world of vibe coding, and I’m excited to share my experiences and insights!

Vibe coding is a term coined by Andrej Karpathy, referring to a method of coding where you primarily engage with an AI assistant rather than getting lost in the technical intricacies of programming syntax. The idea is to give vibes, which means to express your needs and desires regarding what you want to create, and let the AI take care of the nitty-gritty coding tasks for you.

My venture into vibe coding began with Cursor, an AI-powered code editor that felt comfortable right from the start. Cursor is designed to integrate AI directly into your coding workflow, making it possible to interact in natural language rather than resorting to strict coding syntax. It helped me feel like I wasn’t merely typing code; I was having a conversation with my coding buddy. Here are the steps I took to get started:

The installation process was surprisingly straightforward. I downloaded Cursor from their official website, followed the instructions to set it up on my computer, and soon I was ready to go! The interface was familiar, mimicking that of Visual Studio Code, so it wasn’t too alien for me to navigate.

After launching Cursor, I created my first project. It felt exhilarating to pick an empty folder and start a new coding journey without the fear of making a mess.

The vibe coding magic began when I wrote my first request: “I want to create a webpage that says ‘Hello World’ with a blue background.” To my delight, the AI quickly generated a clean HTML code snippet in seconds. I was amazed at how rapidly AI could pick up on my requests! It felt like playing with LEGOs, but these LEGOs were transformed into perfect code blocks with a friendly AI guiding my hand.

Once my webpage was created, I ran it to see what it looked like. Voila! The screen displayed my vibrant blue “Hello World” message precisely as I envisioned. Testing AI’s output was crucial because it allowed me to identify mistakes and misunderstandings that may have arisen from prompts that weren’t crystal clear.

Rarely did I get the desired output right on the first attempt. Often I found myself needing to refine the code generated. For instance, after viewing my “Hello World” page, I realized I wanted the text to be larger and centered. So I interacted with my AI, typing, “Make the text larger and center it on the page.” The changes flowed easily, showcasing the interactive nature of vibe coding.

As I progressed, I started exploring more complex features, such as adding interactivity. For example, I set out to create a to-do list web app. I began by prompting, “Create a basic HTML page with an input box and an Add button.” Cursor graciously provided the necessary code, and I learned how to integrate input handling simply by conversing with my AI.

Throughout my adventure with vibe coding, I realized that certain tips and best practices made the experience much smoother. Here’s what I learned:

As a beginner, starting with small projects is essential. Trying to create a massive web application in one go can lead to frustration. Focusing on one feature at a time allowed me to learn efficiently while keeping the pressure manageable.

Clarity is crucial. When asking the AI to create something, the more specific my request, the better the outcome. Instead of saying, “Make it look nicer,” I learned to say, “Change the background to a gradient blue and increase the font size of the header.” This specificity bridged the gap between my idea and the output, resulting in a closer match to my expectations.

Vibe coding is an iterative process. If the AI's output isn't quite what I wanted, I just kept the conversation going. Each new prompt tweaked the output further until it aligned with my vision.

While exploring vibe coding, I discovered that tools like Arsturn can supercharge your coding journey. Arsturn allows you to create custom AI chatbots for your website, which can enhance user engagement and conversions. Whether you are building a personal site or creating a customer service assistant, Arsturn provides a USER-FRIENDLY PLATFORM that requires no coding skills. You can effortlessly train a chatbot to interact with your website’s audience. Start with Arsturn and see how you can elevate your online presence!

My initial steps into vibe coding with Cursor have been a whirlwind of learning and creativity. The AI supported me in transforming ideas into reality without getting bogged down by the technicalities. As technology advances, I’m excited to see how vibe coding evolves and what incredible tools will emerge to assist current and future developers.

Join me on this journey, and let’s make coding more accessible and fun, one vibe at a time!