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Rapidly Build and Deploy a Full Stack App with Cursor

Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Advanced content levelAdvanced

Advanced AI-assisted SaaS application development

What you’ll learn and how you can apply it

  • Build and deploy full-stack production applications using Cursor's advanced AI features including agents, project rules, and Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  • Design and implement scalable application architectures with AI-driven development workflows from project initialization to deployment
  • Create comprehensive testing strategies using AI-generated tests for unit, integration, and end-to-end testing scenarios
  • Integrate real-time features and collaborative functionality into applications using modern web technologies with AI assistance

Course description

If you’re already familiar with Cursor and want to move beyond basic AI-assisted coding and start building production-ready applications, you’ll need to learn the more advanced features of Cursor—including project rules, background agents, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Through hands-on demonstrations that progress from vanilla JavaScript/HTML apps to a full stack React/Next.js application, Lucas Soares shows you how to leverage Cursor’s AI capabilities for rapid development while implementing professional patterns for testing, deployment, and monitoring. You’ll learn to orchestrate AI assistance throughout the entire development lifecycle, from architecture planning to production, and gain the skills to dramatically accelerate your application development workflow—while maintaining code quality. With Lucas’s guidance, in the second half of the course you’ll put what you’re learning into practice, building and deploying a complete SaaS application.

What you’ll learn and how you can apply it

  • Accelerate Development Cycles: Transition from an initial idea to a deployed production environment in a fraction of the time using AI-native workflows.
  • Enforce Coding Standards Automatically: Set up project-wide rules that force Cursor to adhere to your team’s specific style guides and architectural constraints.
  • Build a Production SaaS: Apply your skills to a capstone project—a complete, functional SaaS application—taking it from a blank folder to a live URL.
  • Future-Proof Your Workflow: Move beyond simple "chat-and-paste" coding to a sophisticated, agent-driven approach that leverages the cutting edge of the Model Context Protocol.

This live event is for you because...

  • You're an experienced developer who’s comfortable with at least one programming language and familiar with basic Cursor features like code completion and chat.
  • You work with modern web technologies and want to dramatically accelerate your development workflow while maintaining code quality.
  • You want to become proficient in AI-driven development and learn how to build complete applications from scratch using Cursor's advanced capabilities.

Prerequisites

  • A GitHub account for version control and deployment workflows
  • At least six months of programming experience in JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, or similar languages
  • Basic familiarity with Cursor IDE, including installation, basic completions, and chat features
  • Understanding of web development fundamentals including HTML, CSS, and basic client-server architecture
  • Command line proficiency for running build tools and deployment commands

Recommended preparation:

Recommended follow-up:

Schedule

The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.

Cursor, context management, rules, and agents (70 minutes)

  • Presentation: Quick Cursor refresher and course overview; codebase indexing and @ symbol mastery; context windows and token management; understanding and creating project rules; agent types and background agents; Model Context Protocol (MCP) introduction
  • Demonstration: Setting up Cursor configuration; setting up project rules; context management; working with agents
  • Q&A
  • Break

Building your first full app with Cursor (70 minutes)

  • Presentation and demonstration: Project setup; AI-driven project initialization; creating architecture-specific project rules; performance optimization strategies; testing with AI assistance
  • Hands-on exercises: Build data layer with storage module; create UI components with AI assistance; add real-time features
  • Q&A
  • Break

Advanced app development and architecture (60 minutes)

  • Presentation: React project architecture; intelligent project scaffolding; advanced project rules for React; state management patterns
  • Hands-on exercises: Build an AI-powered quiz app; create the interface; set up the AI backend
  • Demonstration: AI workflows for prototyping; React performance patterns; advanced UI/UX features; MCP for UI testing/prototyping; testing strategies
  • Q&A

Real-world project—full stack application (55 minutes)

  • Presentation: Full stack architecture
  • Hands-on exercises: Explore backend development and frontend implementation
  • Demonstration: Testing and refining
  • Break

Deployment, testing, and production best practices (45 minutes)

  • Presentation: Deployment with Vercel; AI-assisted CI/CD pipeline
  • Hands-on exercise: Production setup
  • Q&A

Your Instructor

  • Lucas Soares

    Lucas Soares is a machine learning engineer who has worked at K1 Digital and Biometrid, where he developed computer vision and NLP models for applications such as document verification, OCR-based applications, and recommender systems. Lucas has also developed various ML models, including neural networks, Siamese networks, convolutional neural networks, LSTMs, and genetic algorithms.

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Skill covered

Prompt Engineering