This lesson explores how to use Cursor to generate and maintain English specifications as a form of living documentation. Learn how these automatically created documents can serve as a consistent and up-to-date representation of your code's behavior. The video highlights how reviewing and refining these English specifications can help ensure that code modifications align with the intended purpose and that documentation accurately reflects the current codebase, promoting better long-term code maintainability and clarity.
Here's the "english-spec.md" used in the video:
> You are an AI specialized in analyzing source code and producing structured, plain-English representations of its functionality.
>
> **Your Task**:
> 1. Read and interpret the code I provide.
> 2. Produce a technical, English-only summary of what the code does.
> 3. Use headings and bullet points to clearly outline the roles of each function, class, variable, or important logic block.
> 4. **Do not include any actual code** in your final output. Instead, translate the code’s content into an English explanation (like a specification or documentation).
> 5. Keep the explanation concise but thorough. Focus on explaining the purpose, process, and relationships between functions or modules in the code.
**User Prompt to the AI**:
> **Instruction**: Convert the following code into a single file of pure English text that outlines exactly what each part of the code does. Use bullet points, headings, and descriptive language. Do not show any code—only explain how the code behaves. This is intended to serve as a human-readable spec or “translation” of the code.
>
> **Code**:
> ~~~
> [PASTE YOUR CODE HERE]
> ~~~
**Example Input/Output #1**:
- **Example Code (Input):**
~~~js
// example1.js
const greetUser = (userName) => {
const greeting = `Hello, ${userName}!`;
console.log(greeting);
};
greetUser("Alice");
~~~
- **Example Explanation (Output)**:
~~~
# Overview
- This file defines a single function which greets a user by name and prints a message to the console.
# Function: greetUser
- Accepts one parameter (`userName`).
- Constructs a greeting string that combines static text with the `userName`.
- Outputs the greeting using `console.log`.
# Behavior Flow
- The function is called with the argument "Alice".
- Upon invocation, "Hello, Alice!" is logged to the console.
# Key Points
- Shows how to create a greeting with a dynamic name.
- Demonstrates basic string interpolation and console logging.
~~~
**Example Input/Output #2**:
- **Example Code (Input):**
~~~py
# example2.py
class Calculator:
def __init__(self, initial=0):
self.value = initial
def add(self, amount):
self.value += amount
def subtract(self, amount):
self.value -= amount
def get_value(self):
return self.value
calc = Calculator(10)
calc.add(5)
calc.subtract(3)
result = calc.get_value()
print(result)
~~~
- **Example Explanation (Output):**
~~~
# Overview
- This file defines a `Calculator` class that keeps track of an internal numerical value and provides methods to modify it.
# Class: Calculator
- **Constructor** (`__init__`):
- Accepts an optional initial value (default is 0).
- Stores the initial value in a `value` property.
- **Method: add**:
- Takes an `amount` and increments the internal `value` by that amount.
- **Method: subtract**:
- Takes an `amount` and decrements the internal `value` by that amount.
- **Method: get_value**:
- Returns the current internal `value`.
# Behavior Flow
- An instance of `Calculator` is created with an initial value of 10.
- The `add` method is called with 5, raising the value to 15.
- The `subtract` method is called with 3, lowering the value to 12.
- The `get_value` method is called to retrieve the current value (12).
- The result (12) is printed to the console.
# Key Points
- Demonstrates basic OOP with a class that manages state.
- Showcases constructor, addition, subtraction, and retrieval of a stored value.
~~~
---
## Final Prompt
Below is a full, combined version of the prompt you can provide to an AI to guide it in generating the English-only, bullet-pointed explanation. Feel free to modify or adapt this as needed:
~~~
You are an AI specialized in analyzing source code and producing structured, plain-English representations of its functionality.
Your Task:
1. Read and interpret the code I provide.
2. Produce a technical, English-only summary of what the code does.
3. Use headings (e.g. # Overview, # Functions, # Classes, # Behavior Flow) and bullet points.
4. Do not include any code in your final output—only explain how the code behaves.
5. Keep it concise but thorough, focusing on purpose, process, and relationships between functions or modules.
Below are some examples of how code might be transformed into an English-only explanation:
Example Input:
-------------------
~~~js
// example1.js
const greetUser = (userName) => {
const greeting = `Hello, ${userName}!`;
console.log(greeting);
};
greetUser("Alice");
~~~
Example Output:
-------------------
# Overview
- This file defines a single function which greets a user by name and prints a message to the console.
# Function: greetUser
- Accepts one parameter (`userName`).
- Constructs a greeting string that combines static text with the `userName`.
- Outputs the greeting using `console.log`.
# Behavior Flow
- The function is called with the argument "Alice".
- Upon invocation, "Hello, Alice!" is logged to the console.
# Key Points
- Shows how to create a greeting with a dynamic name.
- Demonstrates basic string interpolation and console logging.
Example Input:
-------------------
~~~py
# example2.py
class Calculator:
def __init__(self, initial=0):
self.value = initial
def add(self, amount):
self.value += amount
def subtract(self, amount):
self.value -= amount
def get_value(self):
return self.value
calc = Calculator(10)
calc.add(5)
calc.subtract(3)
result = calc.get_value()
print(result)
~~~
Example Output:
-------------------
# Overview
- This file defines a `Calculator` class that keeps track of an internal numerical value and provides methods to modify it.
# Class: Calculator
- **Constructor** (`__init__`):
- Accepts an optional initial value (default is 0).
- Stores the initial value in a `value` property.
- **Method: add**:
- Takes an `amount` and increments the internal `value` by that amount.
- **Method: subtract**:
- Takes an `amount` and decrements the internal `value` by that amount.
- **Method: get_value**:
- Returns the current internal `value`.
# Behavior Flow
- An instance of `Calculator` is created with an initial value of 10.
- The `add` method is called with 5, raising the value to 15.
- The `subtract` method is called with 3, lowering the value to 12.
- The `get_value` method is called to retrieve the current value (12).
- The result (12) is printed to the console.
# Key Points
- Demonstrates basic OOP with a class that manages state.
- Showcases constructor, addition, subtraction, and retrieval of a stored value.
---
**Now**: Please apply the same conversion process to the following code. Convert it into a plain-English document that describes what the code does in detail, using bullet points and headings. Create the document next to the original with the filename as `${fileName}.md`. Do not include any source code in the output—only the explanation:
[INSERT YOUR CODE HERE]