Demo Auto Imports and Customizing Settings

In this lesson we explore Cursor IDE’s AI-powered autocompletion, Python auto-imports, and customizable settings. We’ll demonstrate how to streamline your Flask development workflow and tailor Cursor to your preferences.

Table of Contents

• Automatic Imports
• Quick Fix Menu
• Python Auto Import (Beta)
• Global & Project Settings
  • Importing VS Code Configuration
  • Defining .cursor-rules
  • Feature Toggles
• AI Models & API Keys
• Enabling Beta Features
• Next Steps

Automatic Imports

Cursor leverages machine learning to detect missing Python modules and insert the corresponding imports. Consider this Flask example:

import sqlite3
import os
from flask import Flask, render_template, request, redirect, url_for, flash, session, g
from datetime import datetime
import hashlib
import logging

# Initialize Flask app
app = Flask(__name__)
app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = 'dev'
app.config['DATABASE'] = os.path.join(app.instance_path, 'task_manager.sqlite')

# Ensure instance folder exists and write to CSV
try:
    os.makedirs(app.instance_path)
    with open('file.csv', 'w') as f:
        f.write('Hello, World!')
    with open('file.csv', 'r') as f:
        csvreader = csv.reader(f)
        for row in csvreader:
            print(row)
except OSError:
    pass

Because csv is not imported, csv.reader will trigger a quick fix. Press ⌘. (macOS) or Ctrl+. (Windows/Linux), choose Import 'csv', and Cursor auto-inserts:

import csv
import sqlite3
import os
# ...other imports

Your application runs without ModuleNotFoundError.

Quick Fix Menu

Beyond imports, the Quick Fix menu helps with:

• Renaming symbols
• Searching for import candidates
• Suppressing linter warnings

Navigate to suggested actions with Ctrl+. / ⌘..

Python Auto Import (Beta)

The Python auto-import (Beta) proactively adds necessary imports as you type. Example:

def read_csv(file_path):
    with open(file_path, 'r') as f:
        csvreader = csv.reader(f)
        for row in csvreader:
            print(row)

def write_csv(file_path, data):
    with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
        csvwriter = csv.writer(f)
        csvwriter.writerows(data)

Press Tab inside the function, save the file, and watch import csv appear at the top.

Customizing Settings in Cursor

Access global settings with ⌘⇧J (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+J (Windows/Linux). Here you can adjust AI rules, feature toggles, editor themes, and more.

Importing VS Code Settings

Mirror your VS Code preferences by importing your settings and extensions into Cursor.

After import, extensions like TabNine and your preferred theme sync automatically.

[2025-03-19 21:44:41.900] Extension version: 0.88.5
[2025-03-19 21:44:41.901] LLM bundle: none
[2025-03-19 21:44:41.901] WSL extension is supported only in Microsoft versions of VS Code

Project-Specific Cursor Rules

Define a .cursor-rules file at your project root to override global AI instructions. These per-project settings ensure consistent code style.

Example .cursor-rules:

# .cursor-rules
always generate Python code that is simple and PEP 8 compliant

Feature Toggles

Enable or disable Cursor IDE features according to your workflow:

AI Models and API Keys

Under Models, select your preferred AI backend. To unlock premium capabilities, add API keys for:

• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Google Cloud AI
• Azure AI

Beta Features

Join the cutting edge by toggling beta features for early access to new AI capabilities.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve configured Cursor’s auto-imports and personalized your IDE, proceed to explore advanced prompt engineering and delve deeper into Cursor’s AI-driven development workflow.

Links and References

• Cursor IDE Documentation
• VS Code Official Site
• TabNine AI Autocomplete