From Idea to Deployment: A Complete Guide to Full-Stack Development with Cursor

Discover how to leverage Cursor AI’s powerful capabilities to streamline the entire development lifecycle for modern Go and Next.js applications.

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced development environment, having the right tools can make all the difference between meeting deadlines and falling behind. One tool that’s been gaining significant traction among developers is Cursor AI – an AI-powered code editor that combines the familiarity of VS Code with cutting-edge AI capabilities.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through how to leverage Cursor AI to build a full-stack application using Go for the backend and Next.js for the frontend. We’ll cover everything from setting up your environment to deploying your application, with plenty of practical tips and code examples along the way.

What is Cursor AI?

Cursor is an AI-enhanced code editor built on VS Code that integrates powerful AI features to help developers write, understand, and maintain code more efficiently.

Key Features that Make Cursor Stand Out:

  • AI-driven Code Completion: Cursor’s Tab completion can predict multiple lines of code and adapts based on your recent changes
  • In-editor Chat: Quickly ask questions with Cmd+K/Ctrl+K, and the AI assistant understands your code context
  • Agent Mode: Activate with Cmd+I/Ctrl+I to continuously execute tasks until completion
  • AI Code Review: Automatically check for issues and suggest improvements
  • Custom Rules: Fine-tune AI behavior via .cursorrules files

Cursor is particularly well-suited for Go and Next.js development thanks to its strong support for multiple languages, contextual understanding that helps when switching between frontend and backend code, and integration with VS Code’s ecosystem of extensions.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before diving into development, let’s set up Cursor for optimal Go and Next.js development.

Installing Cursor

  1. Download and install Cursor from the official website
  2. Complete the initialization setup, preferably selecting VSCode keyboard shortcuts
  3. Configure your preferred AI model (Claude 3.7 Sonnet recommended)

Configuring Cursor for Go Development

Install these essential extensions:

  • Official Go extension
  • Go Test Explorer
  • Go Outliner

Set up your Go environment:

go version # Confirm Go is installed
go env -w GO111MODULE=on
go env -w GOPROXY=https://goproxy.io,direct

Create a Go-specific .cursorrules file:

# Go Backend Development Rules
- Follow Go's standard directory structure and naming conventions
- Utilize Go's built-in concurrency features for API performance
- Write clear error handling with early returns to avoid deeply nested code
- Prefer standard library functionality over unnecessary dependencies
- Document all exported functions
- Use table-driven tests with parallel execution
- Implement interface-based dependency injection

Configuring Cursor for Next.js Development

Install these frontend extensions:

  • ESLint
  • Prettier
  • TypeScript and JavaScript language features
  • Tailwind CSS IntelliSense (if using Tailwind)

Create a Next.js-specific rules file:

# Next.js Frontend Development Rules
- Use App Router architecture and directory structure
- Minimize client components, prefer server components
- Use named exports over default exports
- Leverage TypeScript interfaces for type safety
- Organize components by feature, not type
- Use ISR or SSG for performance optimization

From Requirements to Architecture

Analyzing Project Requirements with Cursor

Start by creating a project requirements document (PRD.md) that includes:

  • Project overview and goals
  • User stories and use cases
  • Functional requirements
  • Non-functional requirements (performance, security, etc.)
  • Technical stack justification

Use Cursor’s Agent mode (Cmd+I/Ctrl+I) to generate an initial architecture:

Analyze the PRD.md file and generate a high-level architecture diagram for a Go backend and Next.js frontend project, including:
1. API endpoint list
2. Data models
3. Frontend page structure
4. Component hierarchy

Then break down tasks with the help of AI:

Based on the PRD.md and our architecture, create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that divides the project into manageable tasks with estimated time for each task.

Project Structure Design

A well-organized project structure is essential for maintainability and scalability. Here’s what a solid structure looks like for both backend and frontend:

Go Backend Structure

backend/
├── cmd/                     # Application entry points
│   └── server/              # Main server
│       └── main.go          # Entry file
├── internal/                # Private application code
│   ├── api/                 # API handlers
│   ├── middleware/          # HTTP middleware
│   ├── models/              # Data models
│   ├── repository/          # Data access layer
│   └── service/             # Business logic layer
├── pkg/                     # Shareable packages
│   ├── config/              # Configuration handling
│   ├── logger/              # Logging utilities
│   └── validator/           # Input validation
├── scripts/                 # Build and deployment scripts
├── tests/                   # Test files
├── go.mod                   # Go module definition
└── go.sum                   # Dependency checksums

Next.js Frontend Structure

frontend/
├── app/                     # Next.js 14+ App Router
│   ├── (auth)/              # Auth-related route group
│   ├── api/                 # API routes
│   ├── layout.tsx           # Root layout
│   └── page.tsx             # Homepage
├── components/              # UI components
│   ├── ui/                  # Base UI components
│   └── features/            # Feature components
├── lib/                     # Utilities and shared logic
├── public/                  # Static assets
├── styles/                  # Global styles
├── types/                   # TypeScript type definitions
├── next.config.js           # Next.js configuration
├── package.json             # Dependency definitions
└── tsconfig.json            # TypeScript configuration

Backend Development with Go and Gin

Let’s look at the key aspects of implementing our Go backend using Cursor.

Initializing the Go Project

Use Cursor’s terminal to set up the project:

mkdir -p backend
cd backend
go mod init yourproject/backend
go get -u github.com/gin-gonic/gin
go get -u gorm.io/gorm
go get -u gorm.io/driver/postgres # Or your preferred DB driver

Creating the Main Entry File

In Cursor, create a cmd/server/main.go file:

package main

import (
    "log"
    "net/http"

    "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/api"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/middleware"
    "yourproject/backend/pkg/config"
)

func main() {
    // Load configuration
    cfg, err := config.Load()
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Failed to load config: %v", err)
    }

    // Set Gin mode
    if cfg.Environment == "production" {
        gin.SetMode(gin.ReleaseMode)
    }

    // Initialize router
    r := gin.Default()
    
    // Global middleware
    r.Use(middleware.Logger())
    r.Use(middleware.CORS())
    
    // Register API routes
    api.RegisterRoutes(r)
    
    // Static file serving (for frontend build files)
    r.Static("/assets", "./public/assets")
    r.StaticFile("/", "./public/index.html")
    
    // Start server
    log.Printf("Server starting on %s", cfg.ServerAddress)
    if err := http.ListenAndServe(cfg.ServerAddress, r); err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Failed to start server: %v", err)
    }
}

Implementing Data Models

Define your data models in the internal/models directory:

package models

import (
    "time"
)

type User struct {
    ID        uint      `json:"id" gorm:"primaryKey"`
    Username  string    `json:"username" gorm:"unique;not null"`
    Email     string    `json:"email" gorm:"unique;not null"`
    Password  string    `json:"-" gorm:"not null"` // Not returned in JSON
    CreatedAt time.Time `json:"created_at"`
    UpdatedAt time.Time `json:"updated_at"`
}

type Item struct {
    ID          uint      `json:"id" gorm:"primaryKey"`
    Name        string    `json:"name" gorm:"not null"`
    Description string    `json:"description"`
    UserID      uint      `json:"user_id" gorm:"index"`
    CreatedAt   time.Time `json:"created_at"`
    UpdatedAt   time.Time `json:"updated_at"`
}

Implementing API Routes and Handlers

  1. Register routes in internal/api/routes.go:
package api

import (
    "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/api/handlers"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/middleware"
)

func RegisterRoutes(r *gin.Engine) {
    // Public API endpoints
    public := r.Group("/api")
    {
        public.POST("/register", handlers.Register)
        public.POST("/login", handlers.Login)
    }

    // Authenticated API endpoints
    authorized := r.Group("/api")
    authorized.Use(middleware.Authenticate())
    {
        authorized.GET("/users/me", handlers.GetCurrentUser)
        
        // Item-related routes
        items := authorized.Group("/items")
        {
            items.GET("", handlers.GetItems)
            items.POST("", handlers.CreateItem)
            items.GET("/:id", handlers.GetItemByID)
            items.PUT("/:id", handlers.UpdateItem)
            items.DELETE("/:id", handlers.DeleteItem)
        }
    }
}

  1. Implement handlers in the internal/api/handlers directory:
package handlers

import (
    "net/http"
    "strconv"

    "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/models"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/service"
)

// CreateItem godoc
// @Summary Create a new item
// @Description Create a new item for the authenticated user
// @Tags items
// @Accept json
// @Produce json
// @Param item body models.Item true "Item data"
// @Success 201 {object} models.Item
// @Failure 400 {object} ErrorResponse
// @Failure 401 {object} ErrorResponse
// @Router /api/items [post]
func CreateItem(c *gin.Context) {
    var item models.Item
    if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&item); err != nil {
        c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
        return
    }

    // Get user ID from context
    userID, _ := c.Get("userID")
    item.UserID = userID.(uint)

    // Create item
    if err := service.ItemService.Create(&item); err != nil {
        c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "Failed to create item"})
        return
    }

    c.JSON(http.StatusCreated, item)
}

// GetItems godoc
// @Summary Get all items for user
// @Description Get all items belonging to authenticated user
// @Tags items
// @Produce json
// @Success 200 {array} models.Item
// @Failure 401 {object} ErrorResponse
// @Router /api/items [get]
func GetItems(c *gin.Context) {
    userID, _ := c.Get("userID")
    
    items, err := service.ItemService.GetByUserID(userID.(uint))
    if err != nil {
        c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": "Failed to fetch items"})
        return
    }
    
    c.JSON(http.StatusOK, items)
}

// Additional handlers...

Frontend Development with Next.js

Now let’s explore implementing the frontend with Next.js.

Initializing the Next.js Project

Use Cursor’s terminal:

npx create-next-app@latest frontend
cd frontend

When prompted, select:

  • TypeScript: Yes
  • ESLint: Yes
  • Tailwind CSS: Yes (recommended)
  • Use App Router: Yes
  • Custom import aliases: Yes

Configuring API Communication

Create an API client in the lib directory:

// lib/api.ts
import axios from 'axios';

const API_BASE_URL = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL || 'http://localhost:8080/api';

const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: API_BASE_URL,
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
});

// Request interceptor to add auth token
apiClient.interceptors.request.use((config) => {
  const token = localStorage.getItem('token');
  if (token) {
    config.headers.Authorization = `Bearer ${token}`;
  }
  return config;
});

// Response interceptor to handle errors
apiClient.interceptors.response.use(
  (response) => response,
  (error) => {
    // Handle 401 errors, possibly need to re-login
    if (error.response && error.response.status === 401) {
      // Clear local token and redirect to login page
      localStorage.removeItem('token');
      window.location.href = '/login';
    }
    return Promise.reject(error);
  }
);

export default apiClient;

Creating an Authentication Context

In the lib/contexts directory:

// lib/contexts/auth-context.tsx
'use client';

import { createContext, useContext, useState, useEffect, ReactNode } from 'react';
import apiClient from '@/lib/api';

interface User {
  id: number;
  username: string;
  email: string;
}

interface AuthContextType {
  user: User | null;
  loading: boolean;
  login: (email: string, password: string) => Promise<void>;
  register: (username: string, email: string, password: string) => Promise<void>;
  logout: () => void;
}

const AuthContext = createContext<AuthContextType | undefined>(undefined);

export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  const [user, setUser] = useState<User | null>(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    const token = localStorage.getItem('token');
    if (token) {
      fetchUserProfile();
    } else {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  }, []);

  const fetchUserProfile = async () => {
    try {
      setLoading(true);
      const response = await apiClient.get('/users/me');
      setUser(response.data);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to fetch user profile:', error);
      localStorage.removeItem('token');
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  };

  // Auth functions: login, register, logout
  const login = async (email: string, password: string) => {
    const response = await apiClient.post('/login', { email, password });
    localStorage.setItem('token', response.data.token);
    await fetchUserProfile();
  };

  const register = async (username: string, email: string, password: string) => {
    const response = await apiClient.post('/register', { username, email, password });
    localStorage.setItem('token', response.data.token);
    await fetchUserProfile();
  };

  const logout = () => {
    localStorage.removeItem('token');
    setUser(null);
  };

  return (
    <AuthContext.Provider value={{ user, loading, login, register, logout }}>
      {children}
    </AuthContext.Provider>
  );
}

export const useAuth = () => {
  const context = useContext(AuthContext);
  if (context === undefined) {
    throw new Error('useAuth must be used within an AuthProvider');
  }
  return context;
};

Testing and Debugging

Effective testing and debugging are crucial for building reliable applications. Cursor provides excellent tools for both.

Backend Testing with Go

Create comprehensive tests for your Go API handlers:

// internal/api/handlers/items_test.go
package handlers_test

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "net/http"
    "net/http/httptest"
    "testing"

    "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
    "github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
    "github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
    
    "yourproject/backend/internal/api/handlers"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/models"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/service"
    "yourproject/backend/internal/service/mocks"
)

func TestCreateItem(t *testing.T) {
    gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)

    // Create mock service
    mockItemService := new(mocks.ItemService)
    service.ItemService = mockItemService

    // Create test router
    r := gin.Default()
    r.POST("/api/items", func(c *gin.Context) {
        // Mock auth middleware
        c.Set("userID", uint(1))
        handlers.CreateItem(c)
    })

    // Test data
    newItem := models.Item{
        Name:        "Test Item",
        Description: "This is a test item",
    }
    
    // Mock service behavior
    mockItemService.On("Create", mock.AnythingOfType("*models.Item")).Return(nil)

    // Create request
    jsonData, _ := json.Marshal(newItem)
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "/api/items", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonData))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    
    // Execute request
    w := httptest.NewRecorder()
    r.ServeHTTP(w, req)

    // Verify results
    assert.Equal(t, http.StatusCreated, w.Code)
    
    var response models.Item
    err := json.Unmarshal(w.Body.Bytes(), &response)
    assert.NoError(t, err)
    assert.Equal(t, newItem.Name, response.Name)
    assert.Equal(t, newItem.Description, response.Description)
    assert.Equal(t, uint(1), response.UserID)

    // Verify expected service calls
    mockItemService.AssertExpectations(t)
}

Frontend Testing with Jest

Test your React components thoroughly:

// components/features/__tests__/ItemsList.test.tsx
import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
import ItemsList from '../ItemsList';
import apiClient from '@/lib/api';

// Mock API client
jest.mock('@/lib/api', () => ({
  get: jest.fn(),
}));

describe('ItemsList', () => {
  beforeEach(() => {
    jest.clearAllMocks();
  });

  test('displays items list', async () => {
    // Mock API response
    const mockItems = [
      { id: 1, name: 'Item 1', description: 'Description 1', created_at: '2023-01-01T00:00:00Z' },
      { id: 2, name: 'Item 2', description: 'Description 2', created_at: '2023-01-02T00:00:00Z' },
    ];
    
    (apiClient.get as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: mockItems });

    render(<ItemsList />);

    // Verify loading state is displayed
    expect(screen.getByText('Loading...')).toBeInTheDocument();

    // Wait for data to load
    await waitFor(() => {
      expect(screen.getByText('Item 1')).toBeInTheDocument();
    });

    // Verify items are rendered
    expect(screen.getByText('Item 1')).toBeInTheDocument();
    expect(screen.getByText('Description 1')).toBeInTheDocument();
    expect(screen.getByText('Item 2')).toBeInTheDocument();
    expect(screen.getByText('Description 2')).toBeInTheDocument();
  });
  
  // Additional test cases...
});

Debugging with Cursor

Cursor provides powerful debugging capabilities for both Go and Next.js.

For Go Backend

Create a debug configuration in .vscode/launch.json:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Launch Go Backend",
            "type": "go",
            "request": "launch",
            "mode": "auto",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}/backend/cmd/server/main.go",
            "env": {},
            "args": []
        }
    ]
}

Use Cursor’s Agent mode to get debugging help:

Analyze why this Go function is returning an error? Which line is causing the issue and how can I fix it?

For Next.js Frontend

Configure browser debugging:

// .vscode/launch.json - add frontend debugging config
{
    "name": "Launch Chrome against localhost",
    "type": "chrome",
    "request": "launch",
    "url": "http://localhost:3000",
    "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}/frontend"
}

Deployment

Let’s look at how to containerize and deploy our application.

Containerizing with Docker

Create a Dockerfile for the backend:

# backend/Dockerfile
FROM golang:1.21-alpine AS builder

WORKDIR /app

# Copy go mod files
COPY go.mod go.sum ./
RUN go mod download

# Copy source code
COPY . .

# Build app
RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -a -installsuffix cgo -o server ./cmd/server

# Final stage
FROM alpine:latest

RUN apk --no-cache add ca-certificates

WORKDIR /root/

# Copy binary from builder stage
COPY --from=builder /app/server .
# Copy frontend static files
COPY --from=builder /app/public ./public

# Expose port
EXPOSE 8080

# Run app
CMD ["./server"]

Set up Docker Compose for a complete environment:

# docker-compose.yml
version: '3'

services:
  app:
    build:
      context: ./backend
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      - DB_HOST=db
      - DB_USER=postgres
      - DB_PASSWORD=password
      - DB_NAME=yourproject
      - DB_PORT=5432
      - JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
    depends_on:
      - db
    
  db:
    image: postgres:14-alpine
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=postgres
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password
      - POSTGRES_DB=yourproject
    volumes:
      - db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    ports:
      - "5432:5432"

volumes:
  db-data:

Setting Up CI/CD with GitHub Actions

Configure GitHub Actions for automated testing and deployment:

name: CI/CD

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3

    # Backend tests
    - name: Set up Go
      uses: actions/setup-go@v4
      with:
        go-version: '1.21'
    
    - name: Test Backend
      run: cd backend && go test ./... -v
    
    # Frontend tests
    - name: Set up Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: '20'
    
    - name: Install Frontend Dependencies
      run: cd frontend && npm install
    
    - name: Test Frontend
      run: cd frontend && npm test
  
  build:
    needs: test
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    
    # Build frontend
    - name: Set up Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: '20'
    
    - name: Build Frontend
      run: |
        cd frontend
        npm install
        npm run build
    
    # Build backend
    - name: Set up Go
      uses: actions/setup-go@v4
      with:
        go-version: '1.21'
    
    - name: Build Backend
      run: cd backend && go build -o server ./cmd/server
    
    # Deployment steps
    - name: Login to DockerHub
      uses: docker/login-action@v2
      with:
        username: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_USERNAME }}
        password: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
    
    - name: Build and Push Docker image
      uses: docker/build-push-action@v4
      with:
        context: ./backend
        push: true
        tags: yourusername/yourproject:latest

Best Practices for Using Cursor AI

Having covered the technical aspects of our application, let’s focus on how to get the most out of Cursor AI.

Effective Agent Mode Usage

Agent Mode (Cmd+I/Ctrl+I) is one of Cursor’s most powerful features. For best results:

  1. Provide Clear Instructions: Create a JWT authentication middleware for Go Gin with the following features: 1. Token validation and expiration checking 2. User ID extraction from token 3. Error handling for invalid tokens 4. Adding user info to context
  2. Iterative Development: Start with a basic framework, then ask for more features: Now, add caching functionality to this middleware, using Redis to store blacklisted tokens.
  3. Test-Driven Development: Ask the Agent to create tests, then implement the functionality: Create comprehensive unit tests for a user login API, then implement the API handler that satisfies these tests.

Using Cursor Rules Effectively

Create custom .cursorrules files to improve code quality:

# Project Rules
- All API responses use a unified format: {success: boolean, data: any, error: string}
- Use structured logging for important operations, including user ID and operation type
- All database operations should include timeout contexts
- Use dependency injection pattern rather than global variables
- Frontend components should follow atomic design pattern, building complex features from base UI components

Using Cursor for Code Refactoring

Leverage Cursor’s AI capabilities for large-scale code refactoring:

Analyze this Go function and refactor it using these principles:
1. Reduce complexity, keep each function under 20 lines
2. Use dependency injection instead of global variables
3. Use context for timeout and cancellation control
4. Improve testability

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve explored how to leverage Cursor AI for full-stack development with Go and Next.js. From analyzing requirements to deployment, Cursor provides powerful tools that significantly boost developer productivity.

The combination of Cursor’s AI capabilities with the performance of Go and the versatility of Next.js creates an excellent tech stack for modern web applications. With proper architecture, testing, and CI/CD practices in place, you’ll be able to develop, deploy, and maintain high-quality applications with greater efficiency.

As you continue to use Cursor, you’ll discover more techniques and workflows that enhance your development experience. Practice, experiment, and find the approach that works best for you and your team.

Happy coding!


Have you tried Cursor AI for your development workflow? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!