Part 7: Bootstrapping Your Next.js Project with Cursor AI

Bootstrapping Your Next.js Project with Cursor AI

Hey there! Welcome to this post where we'll kickstart our Next.js project using the Create Next App command. By the end of this guide, you'll have a basic Next.js application with a link to manage API keys. When you click this link, you'll see a title and a button—this is just the beginning of our exciting journey. By the end, you'll have a fully functioning application ready to serve users.

Initial Setup

To bootstrap our project, we'll use the Create Next App command, which automatically generates a simple Next.js application. It sets up all the necessary files and directories, providing a solid foundation to start building our application. Additionally, it installs essential dependencies.

Creating the Project Directory

First, we need to create a new directory for our project. Let’s name it CursorCourse:

cd Desktop
mkdir CursorCourse
cd CursorCourse

Bootstrapping the Next.js Application

Now, open your terminal and run the following command to create your Next.js app:

npx create-next-app@latest

When prompted, enter your project name. For this tutorial, we'll use Dante, but feel free to choose any name you like. You’ll also be asked whether you want to use TypeScript. For simplicity, we'll choose No and stick with JavaScript.

Once the setup is complete, navigate into the project directory:

cd Dante

Running the Application

To start the application, run:

npm run dev

If you encounter any permissions issues, such as an EACCESS error, you may need to adjust the permissions:

sudo chmod -R 777 .

After that, rerun the development server:

npm run dev

Your Next.js server should now be running on localhost:3000. Open this in your browser to see your initial application.

Adding Functionality with Cursor AI

Next, we'll leverage Cursor AI to generate a dashboard page with a button. This will be the starting point for managing API keys.

Generating the Dashboard Page

Navigate to the main page of your application, typically located at pages/index.js. Open the Cursor AI sidebar and input the following prompt:

I want you to create a button that will redirect to /dashboards. This will be the dashboard for managing API keys with a user interface for CRUD operations.

Cursor AI will generate the necessary code. Apply these changes directly to your index.js file. Here’s an example of what the code might look like:

import Link from 'next/link';

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to the API Key Management Dashboard</h1>
      <Link href="/dashboards">
        <a>Manage API Keys</a>
      </Link>
    </div>
  );
}

Creating the Dashboard Page

Now, create a new directory and file for the dashboard page:

mkdir pages/dashboards
touch pages/dashboards/index.js

In pages/dashboards/index.js, add the following code generated by Cursor AI:

export default function Dashboard() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>API Key Management</h1>
      <button>Create New API Key</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Running the Updated Application

Restart your development server:

npm run dev

Navigate to localhost:3000 and click on the "Manage API Keys" link. You should now see the dashboard with a "Create New API Key" button.

Conclusion

You've successfully bootstrapped a Next.js project and added a basic dashboard for managing API keys using Cursor AI. This method is an excellent way to quickly ramp up your project without diving deep into code. Although this approach is not recommended for production systems, it’s perfect for learning and prototyping.

Stay tuned for more tutorials on how to enhance your application with Cursor AI. Happy coding!