The Prompt Bar (Cmd K) feature is the quickest way for users to guide AI-assisted programming, compensating for AI's inability to fully understand user intentions. This article introduces the basic functions of Cursor's Prompt Bar (Cmd K) and provides some usage tips.

1. How do you quickly generate git commit messages in Cursor?
2. What tips exist for using the Prompt Bar (Cmd K)?
3. Do you know the difference between the Prompt Bar (Cmd K) and the Chat function (Cmd L)?

This article will explore Cursor's second main AI-assisted programming feature: the Prompt Bar (Cmd K). Let's find answers to these questions in the following content.

What is the Prompt Bar (Cmd K) Feature?

If the Tab feature is the most direct form of AI-assisted coding (directly generating code), then the Prompt Bar (Cmd K) is the quickest way for users to guide how the AI should assist, compensating for AI's inability to fully understand user intentions.

The Prompt Bar (Cmd K) is the fastest way to interact with AI in Cursor. It's like a programming assistant always on standby, allowing you to quickly get AI help.

Unlike the Chat function (Cmd L), the Prompt Bar (Cmd K) is mainly responsible for generating or modifying localized code, while the Chat function (Cmd L) is designed for discussing broader code issues, better supporting multi-round conversations, and addressing wider programming questions.

Cursor's Prompt Bar comes in two types:

• Code Editing Prompt Bar: Used in the code editor, mainly for supplementing or editing code.
• Terminal Prompt Bar: Used in the terminal, mainly for generating terminal commands.

Code Editing Prompt Bar

In the code editor, pressing Cmd K (or Ctrl K on Windows/Linux) will bring up the Prompt Bar (as shown below), where users can input prompts to generate code suggestions.

Context Information Used

The effectiveness of context information determines the quality of the generated code.

When using the Prompt Bar in code editing, Cursor automatically tries to find useful information to improve code generation, in addition to any @ symbols you manually include. Additional context includes:

• Files related to the code you're currently editing
• Recently viewed files

Cursor ranks the context items by relevance to your edit/generation and keeps the most relevant items in context for the large language model.

Inline Generation

If no code is selected when you press Cmd K, Cursor will generate new code based on what you type in the Prompt Bar.

Inline Editing

If you press Cmd K when code is selected, Cursor will modify the selected code based on what you type in the Prompt Bar.

Terminal Prompt Bar

In Cursor's built-in terminal, you can press Cmd K (or Ctrl K on Windows/Linux) to open the Prompt Bar at the bottom of the terminal.

1. In the Prompt Bar, describe in simple terms what you want to do in the terminal.
2. Cursor will automatically write a terminal command based on your description.
3. If you think the command is suitable:
   • Press Esc and the command will appear in the terminal but won't execute yet.
   • If you want to immediately execute the command, press Cmd + Enter.

Context Information Used

Terminal Cmd K considers the following context by default:

• Recent history in the terminal
• Any other content in the Prompt Bar

Tips and Tricks

Follow-up Instructions

When using AI to generate code or answers, we often find that the first result isn't perfect. This is where "follow-up instructions" come in handy. It's like having a conversation with the AI, allowing you to guide it step by step until you get the desired result.

For example, if the code generated by AI has some issues, you can simply say "this function needs error handling" in the Prompt Bar. Then press Enter, and the AI will modify the code according to your new instructions. You don't need to restart the entire process, but can continue improving on the existing foundation.

Quick Question

Sometimes, we may need to quickly understand a piece of code's functionality or get some simple information, but don't want to immediately generate or modify code. This is where the Quick Question feature comes in.

If you press Option/Alt Enter in the Prompt Bar, Cursor will immediately answer any questions about the selected content and related context (without generating or modifying code).

This feature is particularly useful because:

1. It can quickly answer your questions, helping you better understand the code.
2. You don't need to switch to the chat window; you can get answers directly in the editor.
3. The content of this conversation is remembered, so you can use this information in subsequent operations.

Quickly Generate Git Commit Messages

You can use the Terminal Prompt Bar to quickly generate git commit messages.

Steps:

1. In the terminal, enter 'git diff | cat' to see recent changes.
2. Then enter 'git add .' to add all changes to the staging area.
3. Press Cmd K and enter 'git commit message' in the Prompt Bar. Cursor will generate a git commit command with a generated commit message.
4. Press Cmd + Enter to execute the command, completing the process in one go.

Summary

By using the Prompt Bar (Cmd K) feature, you can quickly generate and modify code, create git commit messages, and even get quick answers to simple questions about your code. These features can help you write code more efficiently, save time, and improve productivity.