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1. Cursor mental model: chat vs agent vs inline
AI Coding with Cursor · 44 pages source format
Cursor is an IDE with LLM superpowers. Chat for questions. Agent for multi-file tasks. Inline (Tab/Cmd+K) for local edits. Pick the right mode or waste tokens.
What you'll learn
- Chat vs Agent vs Inline
- Context awareness
- @ references
Three modes, three tasks
Chat: "Explain this function." Inline: rename a variable across a file. Agent: "Add a login test."
Do this now
Do one task in each mode. Note which felt fastest and safest.
Clear?
@ references
@file, @folder, @codebase, @docs — control what the model sees.
Do this now
Ask about a function using @file vs pasting manually. Compare accuracy.
Clear?