Learn Alpine, Egghead and Serverless

Mock Service Worker is an API mocking library that allows you to write client-agnostic mocks and reuse them across any frameworks, tools, and environments.



Mocking WebSocket APIs with Mock Service Worker

**Note:** This course is being actively developed and more lessons will be added in the future.

Cursor is an AI-enhnaced code editor that allows you to call upon the robots to refactor or stub out functions for you with natural language. 

In this course, John will show you workflows that will save you time and effort by utilizing the features such as its mult-line editing and context.

In particular, by giving Cursor's AI the proper context, whether that's lines of code or multiple files, you'll get better output when trying to extend or refactor logic that's present.


Bite-size video tutorials for badass web developers.

egghead

Productive Developer Workflows with AI Enhanced Cursor IDE

JavaScript® (often shortened to JS) is a lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions, most known as the scripting language for Web pages, but used in many non-browser environments as well such as node.js or Apache CouchDB. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic, and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles.

javascript

In this video you'll learn how to deploy a React app to AWS using AWS Amplify Hosting's drag and drop folder functionality. The app will also automatically be globally distributed on AWS's global CDN.

Deploy a React App to AWS in 24 seconds

Starting from a prebuilt frontend, Jason Lengstorf guides you through the creation of a "Corgi Up-boop App" that uses Netlify Functions and Hasura. You can view [the deployed final product on Netlify](https://egghead-serverless-functions.netlify.app/).

You'll set up the Netlify CLI, and configure a local development environment before writing and deploying functions with a few different use cases.

The first example function bypasses CORS restrictions to retrieve corgi data from an example third-party API.

Next, you'll configure environmental variables to securely communicate with the Unsplash API without exposing private keys to the client.

Serverless functions don't persist data by themselves, so we will use  Hasura to create a GraphQL API for tracking the number of "boops" each corgi receives.

This course is an excellent illustration of the speed of Serverless functions, and how fast you can implement functionality in your web applications.

An all-in-one workflow that combines global deployment, continuous integration, and automatic HTTPS.

netlify

Build a Corgi Up-boop Web App with Netlify Serverless Functions and Hasura

Environment variables set in a `.env` file can be imported using the Netlify CLI with the following command: `netlify env:import`.

This allows you to manage environment variables directly on Netlify, providing the benefit of security and flexibility of sharing environment variables with your team. 

From inside Netlify, you can access the environment variables in:

`Site settings` > `Build & deploy` > `Environment` > `Environment variables`

Import and Set Environment Variables from a .env file using Netlify CLI

CORS limits websites from communicating with other domains without the full consent of both sites. Consuming data from a 3rd Party REST API makes it difficult since we can't properly configure the appropriate CORS headers. To solve this, we'll set up a proxy server to request the data using a Netlify function that avoids CORS altogether.

The Third-Party API that we'll be working with will provide the following data: `id`, `name`, `favoriteSong` for each corgi. 

[http://no-cors-api.netlify.app/api/corgis](http://no-cors-api.netlify.app/api/corgis)

We will also use `node-fetch` a light-weight module that brings the `fetch` API to fetch the data into our application.

Circumvent CORS when Accessing a Third-Party API using Netlify Functions 

There are a few ways you can run Netlify serverless functions while you are developing them. 

You can: 

- Navigate to the directory under the `/.netlify/functions/` path
- Curl them using the full URL
- Use an app like Postman

Manually Trigger Netlify Serverless Functions Locally

Netlify makes deploying to production a breeze by configuring your Netlify CLI to your Netlify account and integrating with GitHub.

We'll log in to Netlify through the CLI and initialize a site by completing all the options that the CLI runs us through. Once this is done, Netlify will trigger new builds for your site every time you push to GitHub.

Deploy Serverless Functions to Production on Netlify using the Netlify CLI

Netlify makes developing serverless functions easy with the netlify-cli (`ntl` for short). You'll be able to build and test functions locally as well as publish your functions from the CLI. 

We will install netlify-cli globally and create a `netlify.toml` file that will configure where the CLI should look to run functions that we define, in our case `functions/`. When the application is served up, Netlify runs functions under `/.netlify/functions/`.

Set up a Local Development Environment for Serverless Functions Using Netlify

A serverless function is something that is going to allow us to do server-like things without having to manage servers, but an important distinction here is that serverless does not mean that there are **no** servers. 

The environment is actually running on top of an operating system and uses physical servers, but the responsibility for provisioning and managing the infrastructure belongs entirely to the service provider.

Some of the benefits of using serverless functions: 

- **Enhanced scalability.** No need for developers to implement code to scale. It scales automatically.
- **Reduced time to market.** Serverless is an optimized set of tools for building quickly.
- **No boiler code.** A serverless function is just a tiny piece of logic. Reducing the complexity of software.
- **More time for user experience.** Serverless functions allow teams to focus resources on the user experience and not on managing servers.
- **Security.** We can call third-party APIs securely without exposing important data on the client-side.

What Are Serverless Functions?

A keyboard is the gateway to code. Your hands are the tools that manage the keyboard. Many people develop pain in their hands from repetitive stress injuries that can seriously damage their ability to code. This talk is about making your keyboard experience as gentle as possible on your hands so your hands are happier and you work more effeciently.

Save Your Hands and Save Your Time: Rethinking How to Use a Keyboard

While editing, you can make mistakes that you don't realize right away. One of these is cropping off part of a word that you didn't mean to.

If you don't notice right away, you could be convinced that you needed to undo all of your edits up to that point but that's not the case! When you ripple delete in ScreenFlow, it saves the portion of the clip that you deleted. All you have to do to recover that clip is to select the clip and drag it. Then you can make your desired edits again

Recover a Cropped Section of Video in Screenflow

Speeding up a clip can be useful for moving quickly past parts of your video that are not critical such as periods of typing or installing dependencies. In this lesson you will learn multiple ways to adjust the speed and duration of a clip.



Adjust play speed in ScreenFlow

Use annotations to highlight specific areas of your screen. In this lesson you will learn how to draw annotations with ScreenFlow. We'll choose a shape and color, and then fade it in and out using a video action with easing.

Add Annotations with ScreenFlow

Zooming in to an important part of your screen can eliminate distractions and focus the viewer's attention on what's important at the time. In this lesson you will learn how to create a zoom in and out animation with easing in ScreenFlow.

Zoom in and out with ScreenFlow

Alpine.js offers you the reactive and declarative nature of big frameworks like Vue or React at a much lower cost.

You get to keep your DOM, and sprinkle in behavior as you see fit.

alpine

Welcome to this beginner level series on Alpine JS! 👋🏞

Alpine JS is a rugged, minimal framework for composing JavaScript behaviour in your markup. It brings declarative, reactive, data-driven nature of libraries like React or Vue to your HTML templates.

This is the series intro video. Let's get started!

Series Intro - Beginner Level Alpine JS

In this lesson, we build a little app that fetches dog photos from the dog.ceo API, based on a "breed" search field. We want the API call to happen again when the search value changes, and to do so we use the `$watch` property from Alpine JS, which lets us define what state property we want to watch, and what callback function to run when a change happens.

We also use the `debounce` modifier on the `x-model` property to avoid firing an API call on each keystroke.

Refetch API data when a state value changes with the `$watch` property in Alpine JS

Welcome to this beginner level series on Alpine JS! 👋🏞

Alpine JS is a rugged, minimal framework for composing JavaScript behaviour in your markup. It brings declarative, reactive, data-driven nature of libraries like React or Vue to your HTML templates.

In this series, you will learn about Alpine's handy **directives**. You'll discover how to define a component scope with `x-data`, run code on mount with `x-init`, attach event listeners with `x-on`, display data with `x-text`, decide wether or not to show an element with `x-show`, iterate through data with `x-for`, retrieve a DOM element with `x-ref`, learn how to achieve _two-way data binding_ with `x-model`, and much more.

You'll also learn how **"modifiers"** can be applied and chained to directives to provide additional functionality: control the animation transition of entering and leaving DOM elements, debounce an event listener, etc.

We'll also touch on what Alpine calls **"magic properties"**, which give you access to native browser events (`$event`), reference to DOM elements (`$refs`), and more.

You'll gradually discover Alpine's API and syntax, from building simple tabs to a mini app that fetches a dog picture based on a "breed" search field. 🐶

**Get ready to breathe some fresh air** - it's time to walk into cool, green Alpine pastures! 🏞

Sprinkle declarative, reactive behaviour on your HTML with Alpine JS

In this lesson, we see how the `x-model` directive makes achieving "two-way data binding" effortless in Alpine JS.

We see what it would take to recreate the same functionality with an `x-bind` directive for the input value, as well as an `@input` event listener which, thanks to an access to the browser's native events via the `$event` magic property, sets the state value to `$event.target.value`.

Keep a DOM input and state value in sync with the `x-model` directive in Alpine JS

In this lesson, we learn how to retrieve a DOM element via the `x-ref` directive in Alpine JS, which gives us a reference to the element it is applied on. In our case, an input field.

We can then use the `$refs` object, and reach for the ref we need to target.

This allows us to trigger the focus state of the input field, with the `.focus()` method.

Focus an input field on button click with `x-ref` and the `$refs` property in Alpine JS

In this lesson, we learn how the `x-init` directive in Alpine JS lets us run a JavaScript expression once the component has initiated.

We see the nuances that allow us to trigger that code before Alpine performs initial DOM updates, or after these updates have been made.

Focus in input field on page load with `x-init` in Alpine JS

Hey Everyone 👋,

John Lindquist here with the third issue of AI Dev Essentials! Another week, another whirlwind of updates in the AI development space. We saw Google drop Gemini 2.5 Flash, OpenAI counter with o3/o4-mini and a new Codex CLI, Anthropic beef up Claude with research tools, and continued evolution in the MCP and agent framework landscape. Personally, I've been digging into Gemini 2.5 Flash – it's impressive to see Google pushing the performance frontier for smaller models and comparing it directly against the competition like O4-mini. Let's dive in!

___

### New egghead.io Lesson This Week:

* **[Generate and Debug MCP Servers from Scratch using GitHub Examples and AI](https://egghead.io/generate-and-debug-mcp-servers-from-scratch~k98ad):** Building complex components like Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers from scratch can be challenging, especially without good reference implementations. This lesson demonstrates a powerful workflow combining the `ghx` CLI tool (a wrapper I built for the GitHub CLI - find it [here](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@johnlindquist/ghx)) with AI assistants (like Google's AI Studio and Cursor's agent) to overcome this hurdle. Learn how to scrape real-world examples from GitHub using `ghx` ([see scraped examples here](https://gist.github.com/johnlindquist/b19673bbf6a396406dff869beecace1d)), feed them to an AI to generate a new server, and then integrate and debug it within Cursor. It's a practical look at bootstrapping complex tools using AI and targeted code searching.

___

Here are the highlights that caught my eye this past week:

## Model & Major Platform Updates

* **Gemini 2.5 Flash Arrives:** Google released Gemini 2.5 Flash ([Google Developers Blog](https://developers.googleblog.com/en/start-building-with-gemini-25-flash/)), their first unified reasoning model with thinking budgets. It's positioned as a high-performance, cost-effective option. Notably, Google's benchmarks included comparisons against OpenAI's very recent O4-mini, drawing praise for transparency ([Nathan Lambert](https://x.com/natolambert/status/1912958672881303943)). It's available via the Gemini API, AI Studio, Vertex, and the Gemini app. The [Live API docs](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/live) are also updated.
* **OpenAI Counters with o3/o4-mini & Codex CLI:** OpenAI launched [o3 and o4-mini](https://openai.com/index/introducing-o3-and-o4-mini/), highlighting their agentic capabilities and tool use during Chain-of-Thought. Alongside these, they released the open-source [Codex CLI](https://github.com/openai/codex), a coding agent designed to leverage these new models. Interestingly, the OpenAI dev behind Codex CLI was spotted [using Cursor](https://x.com/chuhang1122/status/1912786904812294312).
* **Claude Gets Research Superpowers:** Anthropic rolled out a major [Claude upgrade](https://x.com/jowettbrendan/status/1912446262756151732) introducing a "Research" agent capability. It can search the web and internal docs, chain queries, and explore topics agentically, building citations along the way. They also added Google Workspace integration (Gmail, Calendar, Docs) for paid users. (Official blog post link pending confirmation).
* **Cursor 0.49 Update:** The latest Cursor update ([Changelog 0.49](https://www.cursor.com/changelog/0-49)) brings several enhancements: improved Cursor Rules generation and attachment, better chat history access, built-in diff reviews, image support in MCP context, agent command editing/skipping, global ignore files, added models (Gemini 2.5 Pro, Grok 3, GPT-4.1), and project structure context for the agent. [AGIdevice](https://x.com/agidevice/status/1913575514670776520) shows how to enable the beta features.

## Tooling & Protocol Developments

* **MCP Nuances:** David Cramer cautioned against simply [proxying OpenAPI specs via MCP](https://x.com/zeeg/status/1913289979368796671), arguing it misuses the protocol and ignores LLM limitations in tool selection and JSON handling.
* **MCP Transport Clarification:** Harald Kirschner clarified the newer "Streamable HTTP" transport ([MCP Spec](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-03-26/basic/transports)), noting it's primarily HTTP-based, with Server-Sent Events (SSE) as an optional upgrade for streaming server messages, deprecating the older standalone SSE transport. Discussions on implementation and future streaming enhancements are ongoing ([TS SDK Issue #220](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk/issues/220), [MCP Roadmap](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/development/roadmap)).
* **Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol Announced:** Google unveiled the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol ([Google Developers Blog](https://developers.googleblog.com/en/a2a-a-new-era-of-agent-interoperability/)), an open standard aiming to allow AI agents from different frameworks and vendors to communicate and collaborate. This is a significant step towards agent interoperability. Akshay Pachaar also provided a clear explanation contrasting [MCP vs. A2A](https://x.com/akshay_pachaar/status/1912123161883345321). ([GitHub Repo](https://github.com/google/A2A))
* **New MCP Tools:** Ishan Goswami released an open-source [Twitter MCP Tool using Exa](https://x.com/TheIshanGoswami/status/1914226695118168331) (GitHub: [exa-labs/exa-mcp-server](https://github.com/exa-labs/exa-mcp-server)) for searching tweets/profiles without the official API. Eyal Toledano shipped [TaskmasterAI v0.12](https://x.com/EyalToledano/status/1914084622918455572) with multi-PRD parsing, smarter breakdowns, and easier MCP setup, alongside a new [website](http://task-master.dev).
* **Cursor Workflows & Tips:** Ryo Lu shared [12 tips for using Cursor effectively](https://x.com/ryolu_/status/1914384195138511142), emphasizing clear rules, specific prompts, and iterative testing. Prajwal Tomar detailed his ["Context Boundary Method"](https://x.com/PrajwalTomar_/status/1913961327711633601) using structured docs (PRD, Flow, Tech Stack etc.) to guide AI coding tools like Cursor and reduce errors. Andrew Jefferson noted potential issues with [Markdown tab completion](https://x.com/EastlondonDev/status/1913967886521053688) in Cursor.
* **AI UI Builders Compared:** Damien shared a comparison of [Replit, Bolt.new, Lovable.dev, and v0](https://x.com/damienghader/status/1913248328302608482) for generating a multi-step onboarding flow from the same prompt.

## Building AI Agents: Frameworks & Best Practices

* **Agent Framework Discussion:** Harrison Chase (LangChain) published a deep dive on [how to think about agent frameworks](https://blog.langchain.dev/how-to-think-about-agent-frameworks/), sparking discussion comparing approaches (agents vs. workflows, declarative vs. non-declarative) and frameworks like LangGraph, OpenAI's Agents SDK, CrewAI, and AutoGen. Key themes include balancing flexibility vs. predictability and choosing the right abstraction level. OpenAI also released its own [practical guide to building agents](https://cdn.openai.com/business-guides-and-resources/a-practical-guide-to-building-agents.pdf).
* **Production Agent Principles:** Dex Horthy shared principles for production-grade LLM apps in ["12-factor-Agents"](https://github.com/humanlayer/12-factor-agents), arguing successful systems often use focused LLM loops within well-engineered software rather than fully autonomous, monolithic agents. This resonated with many builders facing reliability challenges.
* **Agent Memory:** Taranjeet from [mem0.ai](https://x.com/taranjeetio/status/1912185506559053855) emphasized the importance of persistent memory (beyond session history) for truly intelligent agents that learn and adapt over time ([Blog Post](https://mem0.ai/blog/memory-in-agents-what-why-and-how/)).
* **Key Best Practices:** Common advice emerging from various discussions includes: start simple (maybe not even an agent), use structured outputs (like JSON schemas) to reduce hallucinations, prefer multiple specialized agents over one complex agent, own your control flow rather than relying solely on the framework, and carefully manage context windows. ([Anthropic Guide](https://www.anthropic.com/research/building-effective-agents), [Dev.to Summary](https://dev.to/isaachagoel/read-this-before-building-ai-agents-lessons-from-the-trenches-333i)).

___

**✨ Workshop Spotlight: Conquer the Complexity of Cursor ✨**

Master practical AI development workflows in Cursor. This hands-on workshop covers Agents, Ask, Custom Modes, multi-file analysis, effective prompting, Cursor rules, and strategies for handling AI failures.

* **When:** **This Thursday!** April 24, 2025, **9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (PDT)**
* **Where:** Zoom (Live Q&A included)
* **Investment:** $249

Unlock Cursor's potential and streamline your development process.

➡️ [**Read More about the Workshop**](https://egghead.io/workshop/cursor) ➡️ [**Register Now ($249)**](https://buy.stripe.com/9AQaG5ftF5P22eAfZ3)

_(Team training also available)_

___

## Notable Prompts

* **o3 Fact-Checking:** A prompt structure for using o3 to thoroughly fact-check an entire article by parsing individual facts. (See [Matt Shumer's Tweet](https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/1914412812891570199) for the prompt start).
* **Multiple Experts Method:** A system prompt that instructs the AI to analyze problems from multiple expert perspectives (e.g., Systems Thinker, Risk Assessor) and synthesize their insights. (See [God of Prompt's Tweet](https://x.com/godofprompt/status/1914370848032497906) for the full prompt and example).
* **Personality-Infused Prompt:** A detailed persona prompt instructing the AI to adopt a specific, informal, and slightly critical tone using modern slang and abbreviations. (See [Kitze's Tweet](https://x.com/thekitze/status/1913719205007937825) for the full prompt, originally from [@threepointone](https://x.com/threepointone)).

## Community Buzz & Resources

* **New Community Site:** [AGIdevice](https://x.com/agidevice/status/1913666033870647325) is building [cursorcommunity.com](http://cursorcommunity.com) in public.
* **Industry Chatter:** Deirdre Bosa discussed the potential [OpenAI bid for Windsurf](https://x.com/dee_bosa/status/1912906057791447294) and the shift towards the app layer. AI Native Dev reported on perceived [friction between Microsoft and Cursor](https://x.com/ainativedev/status/1912869556973949430) ([Article](http://ainativedev.co/spx)).
* **Android XR Demo:** Google showed off prototype smart glasses with Android XR ([Demo Video via 9to5Google](https://9to5google.com/2025/04/17/google-android-xr-smart-glasses-live-demo/)).
* **New Open Dialogue Model:** A new small open model, [Dia-1.6B](https://x.com/altryne/status/1914421817139454341), was released. It's focused on dialogue disentanglement – figuring out who's talking to whom in complex conversations. ([GitHub](https://github.com/nari-labs/dia), [Hugging Face](https://huggingface.co/nari-labs/Dia-1.6B)). I was extremely impressed with the demos – definitely worth checking out.
* **Video Generation with Veo 2:** Google's Veo 2 video generation model is now available in Gemini Advanced and Google AI Studio ([Google Blog](https://blog.google/products/gemini/video-generation/), [Developers Blog](https://developers.googleblog.com/en/veo-2-video-generation-now-generally-available/)). I've tried out a few videos and was really impressed with the quality. Pro tip: In AI Studio, you can use an image as a reference when generating video ([API Docs](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/video#generate_from_images)), though surprisingly, Gemini doesn't support that yet. It's heavily rate-limited at the moment, but still fun to play with for generating short 8-second clips.

___

That’s the scoop for this issue! The pace isn't slowing down, particularly around agent capabilities, specialized models, and the tooling ecosystem supporting them.

If you have any feedback or questions, hit reply! Always happy to chat about the latest in AI dev tools.

John Lindquist


John Lindquist

AI Dev Essentials #3: Gemini Flash, o4-mini, Codex CLI, A2A Protocol & Agent Updates

AI Dev Essentials covers Gemini 2.5, O4-mini, Claude’s research tools, Codex CLI, and new workflows for building AI agents with MCP and Cursor.

Establish an automated, AI-driven workflow for implementing UI designs by comparing live development versions against target screenshots. This lesson integrates the Playwright MCP server for browser automation, a custom script using Pixelmatch for visual diffing, and Cursor Rules for persistent context. See how to instruct the Cursor Agent to iteratively implement design changes based on visual diff feedback, creating a robust loop where the AI refines the UI towards the target design.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

*   Configure the Playwright MCP server within Cursor for browser control.
*   Use the Agent and Playwright MCP tools (`browser_navigate`, `browser_resize`, `browser_take_screenshot`) to capture baseline and current state PNG screenshots.
*   Install `pixelmatch` and `pngjs` dependencies.
*   Guide the Agent to create and run a TypeScript script (`compare-images.ts`) to generate visual diff images between screenshots.
*   Establish Cursor Rules (`visual-testing.mdc`, `project-setup.mdc`, etc.) to provide the Agent with necessary context about directories, scripts, dependencies, and the overall workflow.
*   Initiate an AI-driven design implementation loop:
    *   Agent captures the current state via Playwright.
    *   Agent runs the comparison script to get a visual diff.
    *   Agent analyzes the diff and implements code changes in the project (e.g., `app/page.tsx`, components, `globals.css`).
    *   Repeat the capture-compare-implement cycle, using the latest diff as feedback.
*   Use context files and prompts like "Please continue" to manage the multi-step process and guide the AI through potential interruptions.

**Key benefits:**

*   Creates an iterative, AI-driven workflow for implementing designs based on visual comparisons.
*   Combines browser automation (Playwright) and pixel-level diffing (Pixelmatch) within the Cursor environment.
*   Utilizes Cursor Rules to effectively manage context and guide the AI through complex, multi-step tasks.
*   Demonstrates how visual diffs can serve as direct feedback for AI-driven UI code generation and refinement.

AI-Driven Design Workflow: Playwright MCP Screenshots, Visual Diffs, and Cursor Rules

[Scraped MCP Examples](https://gist.github.com/johnlindquist/b19673bbf6a396406dff869beecace1d)
[ghx tool](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@johnlindquist/ghx)

Building complex components like Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers from scratch can be challenging, especially without good reference implementations. This lesson demonstrates a powerful workflow combining the `ghx` CLI tool with AI assistants (like Google's AI Studio and Cursor's agent) to overcome this hurdle.

You'll learn how to:

1.  **Use `ghx`:** Leverage the `ghx` command-line tool (which wraps the GitHub CLI) to search GitHub for real-world code examples based on specific import paths (e.g., `modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js`).
2.  **Refine Search Results:** Use `ghx` options (`--help`, `--limit`, `--max-filename`, `NOT demo`) within Cursor's chat to filter results, exclude simple demos, and gather a rich set of relevant MCP server implementations.
3.  **Provide AI Context:** Copy the aggregated code examples found by `ghx` into an AI environment like Google AI Studio (or ChatGPT).
4.  **Handle Context Limits:** See techniques for trimming large context files (like using Cursor's `Cmd+K` inline edit with `head -n` commands) to fit within model limits while retaining valuable examples.
5.  **Generate Code:** Prompt the AI (Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Studio or ChatGPT O3) to generate a *new* MCP server (e.g., with five distinct tools) based *solely* on the provided real-world examples.
6.  **Integrate and Debug:** Set up the generated TypeScript code (`mcp_server.ts`) locally in Cursor, install dependencies (`pnpm install`), and use Cursor's agent (`Cmd+I`) or inline fixes (`Cmd+K`) to resolve TypeScript errors and path issues.
7.  **Configure in Cursor:** Add the newly created MCP server (running via `bun mcp_server.ts`) to Cursor's MCP settings, using the absolute path and the `bun` command.
8.  **Test the MCP Server:** Interact with Cursor's chat agent to call the custom tools (e.g., `add_note`, `list_notes`, `write_managed_file`) defined in the AI-generated MCP server, verifying its functionality.

This lesson showcases how combining targeted code searching (`ghx`) with the generative power of AI, fueled by relevant examples, can dramatically accelerate the process of building and bootstrapping complex tools and applications.

Generate and Debug MCP Servers from Scratch

Hey Everyone 👋,

John Lindquist here with the second issue of AI Dev Essentials! It's been another busy week in the AI tooling world. The biggest splash was probably GPT-4.1 hitting the streets, but there's plenty more action around MCP, Vercel's v0, Google's developer tools, and interesting community discussions. I've spent some time with GPT-4.1 already (specifically in Cursor), and while it shows promise, it didn't quite convince me to switch from Gemini 2.5 Pro yet. It stumbled on a few basic requests where Gemini usually shines on the first attempt.

---

### New egghead.io Lesson This Week:

* **[Create a Custom MCP that Calls Cursor Tools](https://egghead.io/create-a-custom-mcp-that-calls-cursor-tools~r77sw):** Learn how to build custom MCP server tools that allow Cursor's AI Agent to access your local project context. This lesson shows how to use Zod schemas and the crucial `.describe()` method to explicitly request information (like Git status or version) from the Cursor environment *before* your tool runs, enabling powerful, context-aware automation.

---

Here are the highlights that caught my eye this past week.

## Model Mania: GPT-4.1 Arrives, Plus Grok & Llama Updates

* **GPT-4.1 Lands:** OpenAI announced GPT-4.1, and it quickly became available via the [API](https://openai.com/live/) and showed up in [Cursor](https://x.com/cursor_ai/status/1911835651810738406). Cursor is offering it free for now to let users get a feel for it, though they don't recommend it as a default just yet. Curious to hear initial impressions from folks testing it out for coding tasks.

* **Grok 3 in Cursor:** Following other model additions, [Cursor also enabled Grok 3 models](https://x.com/amanrsanger/status/1910434915419906141), with the mini version available for free users. Aman Sanger noted it seems to "think upfront more than other models."

* **Community Hack: Llama 4.0 via Groq in Cursor:** Levi Dan shared a [detailed (and slightly hacky) guide](https://x.com/lxvi_brg/status/1908865544721154455) on how to wire up Groq's fast Llama 4.0 API into Cursor by using the OpenAI API key slot and intercepting requests. A clever workaround for the adventurous!

## Tooling & Platform Pulse

Lots of movement across different platforms and tools this week:

* **Vercel Ecosystem:**

  * Guillermo Rauch teased [v0 coming to VS Code](https://x.com/rauchg/status/1911524154458984515), hinting at tighter integration for the UI generation tool.

  * v0 also [added AI integrations](https://x.com/v0/status/1911912183149256943) with models from xai (Grok), FAL, Groq, and DeepInfra, including automatic API key setup and pay-as-you-go billing via Vercel Marketplace. They're offering a $10 credit for the Grok free tier.

  * Vercel shared insights on the [grep.app migration from CRA to Next.js](http://grep.app/), showcasing performance improvements. ([Source](https://x.com/rauchg/status/1911920410020757881)) I'm personally excited about this one – I rely heavily on examples when working with AI, and for me, a good example is often worth ten prompts. Tools like `grep.app` that make code discovery easier are invaluable.

* **Google's Growing Stack:**

  * Project IDX has officially become [Firebase Studio](https://x.com/_davideast/status/1909990728593453455), positioning itself as a cloud-based, agentic dev environment for full-stack AI apps, deeply integrated with Firebase. I've tried spinning up a few sites with it, and the speed is impressive. However, for more complex tasks like designing from images or intricate interactions, I still find myself leaning towards v0 for now.

  * Google quietly released the [Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://x.com/omarsar0/status/1910004370864742757), a Python library (`pip install google-adk`) for building multi-agent systems with features like state management, tool usage, and orchestration. I haven't had a chance to dive into this yet, but it's right at the top of my list. Building robust agent systems is a huge area of interest, so this is probably the announcement I'm most excited about exploring this week.

  * Ramón Medrano Llamas shared his experience [moving back to VS Code from Cursor](https://x.com/rmedranollamas/status/1909516749612999149), highlighting the effectiveness of GitHub Copilot combined with the Gemini Code Assist extension (using Gemini 2.5 Pro in Agent Mode). I gave the Gemini Code Assist extension a try myself, but as someone deeply embedded in the Cursor workflow with established keyboard shortcuts and patterns, I struggled to find a flow I liked and didn't stick with it for long. It's interesting to see different perspectives, though!

  * AI features are rolling out more broadly in [Chrome](https://x.com/iam_chonchol/status/1909942954686636224), including text grabbing from YouTube videos and Google Lens integration.

* **Cloudflare Corner:**

  * Big news for edge compute: [Cloudflare Containers are coming to Open Beta in June](https://x.com/CherryJimbo/status/1910682562499850405), enabling running containerized apps (Next.js, Go, PHP confirmed) directly on the edge. This is huge news, in my opinion. Think about all the WordPress sites and other applications that rely on containerization. Opening this up on the edge unlocks incredible possibilities, including for AI applications. I'm super hyped to see what people build with this come June.

  * A new tool, [MCPify.ai](http://mcpify.ai/), launched for building MCP servers conversationally, built entirely on Cloudflare Workers and Durable Objects. ([Source](https://x.com/pbteja1998/status/1911723180445610149))

  * Securing MCP servers is getting easier, with examples shared using [WorkOS AuthKit](https://x.com/WorkOS/status/1910722639036874943) and [Auth0](https://x.com/dschenkelman/status/1910693265566728319).

* **IDE Updates:**

  * JetBrains shared the public [WebStorm roadmap for March-April](https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WEB-72310). ([Source](https://x.com/WebStormIDE/status/1909291367504748937))

> **✨ Workshop Spotlight: Conquer the Complexity of Cursor (Europe Friendly Time!) ✨**
>
> Missed the last workshop or found the timing tricky? This one's for you! Master practical AI development workflows in Cursor in a session scheduled for **12:00 PM UTC** to better accommodate European attendees.
>
> This hands-on workshop covers Agents, Ask, Custom Modes, multi-file analysis, effective prompting, Cursor rules, and strategies for handling AI failures. Unlock Cursor's potential and streamline your development process.
>
> * **When:** \[Check website for upcoming dates - This session is Europe-friendly at 12:00 PM UTC\]
>
> * **Where:** Zoom (Live Q&A included)
>
> * **Investment:** $149
>
> ➡️ [**Read More about the Workshop**](https://egghead.io/workshop/cursor)
> ➡️ [**Register Now ($149)**](https://buy.stripe.com/7sI7tT81dfpC06s28c)
>
> *(Team training also available)*

## Community Buzz & Resources

* **MCP Explained:** Kent C. Dodds wrote a piece explaining [why he's excited about Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://www.epicai.pro/the-game-changing-potential-of-model-context-protocol) and its potential. ([Source](https://x.com/kentcdodds/status/1911840456432034112))

* **Prompting Guide:** Ian Nuttall surfaced [v7 of Google's Prompt Engineering Guide](https://x.com/iannuttall/status/1911086164196606314), a deep dive into techniques and best practices. Definitely worth a look.

* **Discussion Starter:** Eric Zakariasson asked the community about their [favorite CLIs and MCP servers to use with the Cursor agent](https://x.com/ericzakariasson/status/1910808935961088346). What are you all using?

* **Gemini 2.5 Pro Praise:** The positive buzz around Gemini 2.5 Pro continues to grow in the community. It's getting rave reviews and even achieving 'S-tier' status on social platforms like Reddit for its coding capabilities. ([Source](https://x.com/suchenzang/status/1911251230317490416))

That’s a wrap for this week! There's always so much happening, it's hard to keep up, but hopefully, this helps surface some of the more interesting bits for developers working with AI.

If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to respond to this email. Always happy to talk shop about the latest AI tools.

John Lindquist

[egghead.io](https://egghead.io)

AI Dev Essentials #2: GPT-4.1 Arrives, MCP Deep Dive & Google's Agent Dev Kit

AI Dev Essentials #2: GPT-4.1 & Gemini updates, MCP tools, Vercel v0, Google ADK, Cloudflare Containers news. Latest AI dev tooling highlights.

In this quick walkthrough, you’ll learn how to drop Nx into an existing npm or pnpm workspace and immediately benefit from project graph visualization, caching, and smart task orchestration, all without rewriting your setup.

You’ll start with a standard React monorepo containing a Vite app, a UI package, and utility functions. Then, using a single command (`nx init`), you’ll initialize Nx and see how it auto-detects your existing scripts, builds a dependency graph, and enables advanced features like affected commands and local caching.

We're also going to explore optional enhancements using Nx plugins for Vite and React. You’ll see how they help Nx infer tasks directly from your Vite config files, improve DX with the Nx Console VS Code extension, and leverage Nx plugin generators to scaffold code with a consistent structure.

What you’ll learn
- How to initialize Nx in an existing npm or pnpm monorepo
- How Nx understands your workspace structure and scripts
- How local caching and affected builds speed up development
- How optional Nx plugins improve DX without adding bloat
- How to scaffold new packages

Using Nx on an existing React and NPM workspace based monorepo

Applying Nx to an existing React monorepo to enable caching, task orchestration, and project graph analysis without changing your current setup.

Typing repetitive or complex instructions for Cursor's AI agent can slow down your workflow. This lesson teaches you how to create custom slash commands (e.g., `/s term`, `/l`, `/c`) using Cursor's "Rules" feature. Learn how to map these simple shortcuts to specific AI actions, instructing the agent to use precise tools like `codebase_search`, `edit_file`, or `run_terminal_cmd` based on your command and the current conversation context.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

*   List available AI tools (built-in and MCP) to get their exact names.
*   Navigate to Cursor Settings -> Rules.
*   Define custom rules under a heading (e.g., `## Slash Commands`).
*   Create rules mapping a slash command pattern (like `/s <term>`) to a detailed instruction specifying which tool to use and how (e.g., "Use the codebase_search tool to search for <term/>").
*   Define rules that leverage conversation context (e.g., for summarizing notes or creating commit messages).
*   Save the rules (potentially in `.cursor/rules/project.mdc` for team sharing).
*   Invoke the custom slash commands (e.g., `/s handle`, `/l`, `/c`) in the chat/agent window.
*   Observe the AI understanding the shortcut and executing the intended tool call.

**Key benefits:**

*   Creates efficient, reusable shortcuts for common AI interactions.
*   Reduces the need for typing lengthy, detailed prompts repeatedly.
*   Allows mapping simple commands to specific Cursor tool invocations.
*   Enables commands that leverage the ongoing conversation context.
*   Improves workflow speed and consistency when working with the AI agent.

Speed Up Your Agents with Cursor Slash Commands

Hey Everyone 👋,

John Lindquist here. Since I've been diving deep into AI tooling and workflows over the past year, I'm starting this weekly newsletter to share updates on what interests me and could be helpful to the community. The goal is to help everyone stay up-to-date with the latest in essentials tools for AI devs.

I'll focus on relevant community news, model evaluations for coding, notable tools like Cursor and Windsurf, and practical workflows (including tools I build myself 😇). This week kicks off Cloudflare Developer Week with major announcements around agent/MCP services that many of us will likely use soon (I'll dig in and share my thoughts next issue). There are also lots of hints about new coding models possibly coming to Cursor (though my preference remains Gemini 2.5). Personally, I'm hoping for a Gemini Flash 2.5 variant. So let's hop into the latest! For my detailed, up-to-date workflows, check out the workshop info below.

Recent egghead.io lessons about AI tooling:

* **[Swarm Intelligence: Massively Parallelize Your AI Agents in Cursor](https://egghead.io/swarm-intelligence-massively-parallelize-your-ai-agents-in-cursor~g7u2g):** A workflow using `file-forge`, AI scripting, and a custom `git worktree` tool (`wt`) to launch parallel Cursor agents on different branches.
* **[Build a Better Edit Tool in Cursor with Custom Agent Modes](https://egghead.io/build-a-better-edit-tool-in-cursor-with-custom-agent-modes~21rr0):** Create a focused 'edit mode' in Cursor for precise AI refactors without conversational overhead, overcoming Command-K limitations.
* **[Visually Clone Websites with Gemini 2.5 Canvas for Cursor](https://egghead.io/visually-clone-websites-with-gemini-2-5-canvas-for-cursor~s5ugk):** Use Gemini 2.5 Pro's Canvas feature within Cursor to analyze and replicate website structures.

---

## Cloudflare Developer Week: Agent & Platform Updates

Cloudflare announced several updates relevant to AI application development:

* **Durable Objects Free Tier:** Lowers the barrier for experimenting with stateful serverless and the Agents SDK. ([Rita Kozlov](https://x.com/ritakozlov_/status/1909231625855983939))
* **MCP Enhancements:** BYO Auth (incl. [Auth0](https://x.com/auth0/status/1909307220816228354)) and Hibernation for MCP servers aim to improve agent security and efficiency. Exercise caution with MCP, but these are steps toward production viability.
* **Workflows GA & autoRAG:** Orchestration tool is now GA; a new autoRAG product indicates more integrated AI solutions.
* **Outerbase Acquisition:** Expect Durable Objects usability improvements following this acquisition. ([Rita Kozlov](https://x.com/ritakozlov_/status/1909232149246492887))
* **OpenNext Adapter Beta:** v1.0-beta for deploying Next.js apps on Cloudflare Pages adds caching, PPR, middleware support. ([CloudflareDev](https://x.com/CloudflareDev/status/1909598450871652398))

**Summary:** Cloudflare is actively enhancing its platform for AI/agent development, particularly reducing friction with Durable Objects and MCP.

## Llama 4 & Nemotron-Ultra Released

Meta's Llama 4 models began rolling out, with initial reports of variable quality across implementations. Meta attributes this to implementation stabilization, denying training on test sets ([Ahmad Al-Dahle](https://x.com/Ahmad_Al_Dahle/status/1909302532306092107)). Nvidia subsequently released **Llama-Nemotron-Ultra** (253B parameters), derived from Llama-405B via pruning and reasoning-focused post-training. Open weights and data are available ([Oleksii Kuchaiev](https://x.com/kuchaev/status/1909444566379573646)).

**Summary:** More powerful open models are available. Llama 4's initial rollout highlights the importance of stable implementations. Nemotron-Ultra adds a high-end specialized option.

---

## Quasar Alpha: Stealth Model on OpenRouter

OpenRouter provides early access to "Quasar Alpha," a model with limited public details but notable claims: 1M token context, benchmarks reportedly surpassing Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and >4x faster speeds. Reports suggest strong coding performance comparable to O3 Mini/DeepSeek R1 but significantly faster ([Matthew Berman's Thread](https://x.com/TheMattBerman/status/1908286423976886371)). The originating lab remains anonymous; speculation includes GPT-5, Claude 4, or Gemini 3.

**Summary:** The combination of large context, speed, and reported coding strength warrants attention for agentic workflows and large codebase analysis, despite benchmark caveats. Worth testing via OpenRouter if accessible.

---

**✨ Workshop Spotlight: Conquer the Complexity of Cursor ✨**

Master practical AI development workflows in Cursor. This hands-on workshop covers Agents, Ask, Custom Modes, multi-file analysis, effective prompting, Cursor rules, and strategies for handling AI failures.

* **When:** **This Thursday!** April 10, 2025, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (PDT)
* **Where:** Zoom (Live Q&A included)
* **Investment:** $149

Unlock Cursor's potential and streamline your development process.

➡️ [**Read More about the Workshop**](https://egghead.io/workshop/cursor)
➡️ [**Register Now ($149)**](https://buy.stripe.com/dR67tT4P17Xa8CYfZ1)

*(Team training also available)*

---

## Quick Links

* **Nightwhisper Buzz:** Highly-rated coding model "Nightwhisper" (rumored Gemini 2.5 variant?) left LMSys Arena; release may be imminent. ([ʟᴇɢɪᴛ Tweet](https://x.com/legit_api/status/1908264443827351913), [AiBattle Tweet](https://x.com/AiBattle_/status/1907519430961025476))
* **AI SDK Speech-to-Text:** Vercel AI SDK added a `transcribe` function. ([AI SDK Tweet](https://x.com/aisdk/status/1909603418639155460))
* **Gemini 2.5 Pro Updates:** Supports YouTube URLs as input in AI Studio (transcribe, summarize, analyze); reported improvements reducing stop issues/displaying thinking tokens. ([Jean Gatt Tweet](https://x.com/jean__gatt/status/1909256747518226829), [Eric Zakariasson Tweet](https://x.com/ericzakariasson/status/1908619515023548880))
* **Baby Cursor Project:** Cursor's Ryo Lu is building a rapid prototyping environment for IDE ideas. ([Ryo Lu Tweet](https://x.com/ryolu_/status/1908328050154233863))
* **(Rumor) Qwen3 Soon?:** Hints suggest Alibaba's Qwen3 model release is near. ([Elaina Tweet](https://x.com/Elaina43114880/status/1909572798944841859))

---

If you have any feedback or any questions, feel free to respond to this email. Always happy to talk shop about the latest AI tools.

John Lindquist

[egghead.io](https://egghead.io)

AI Dev Essentials #1: Cloudflare agent updates, Llama 4/Nemotron/Quasar models, Cursor workshop

Cursor's AI Agent has the abilitly to invoke MCP tools, but they lack direct access to your project. This lesson shows how to build custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) server tools that bridge this gap. Learn to define tool parameters using Zod schemas and the crucial `.describe()` method to explicitly request necessary context from the Cursor environment *before* your tool runs. See how the AI gathers this information (like Git status or version via terminal commands, or web search results) and passes it to your tool, enabling powerful, context-aware automation.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

*   Scaffold a basic MCP server using a Cloudflare template (`pnpm create cloudflare`).
*   Run the MCP server locally and configure it in Cursor settings.
*   Define MCP tools (e.g., `status`) within the server code (`index.ts`).
*   Specify required context for tools using Zod schema parameters and `.describe()` (e.g., requesting "The status of the git repository").
*   Interact with the Cursor Agent using natural language (e.g., "Please check the status").
*   Observe the Agent's thought process: identifying the need for specific context based on the `.describe()` text.
*   See the Agent automatically using its *own* tools (like `run_terminal_cmd` or `web_search`) to gather the requested context *before* calling your MCP tool.
*   Watch the Agent call your MCP tool, passing the gathered local context (Git status, version, etc.) as arguments.
*   Receive the final response from the Agent, incorporating the information provided by your local MCP tool.

**Key benefits:**

*   Allows Cursor's AI to access and reason about information from your local machine (Git status, versions, file contents, etc.).
*   Enables the creation of AI tools that directly interact with or report on your local development environment.
*   Demonstrates the power of using `.describe()` in Zod schemas to guide the AI in gathering necessary context automatically.
*   Unlocks advanced automation possibilities by combining AI reasoning with local machine access.

Create a Custom MCP that Calls Cursor Tools

Vimium's Vomnibar is a "command palette"-like search tool for your open tabs, browser history, and bookmarks. We can search through and jump to any tab open across browser windows. We can also do a generalized search with results that also include browser history and bookmarks which can either be opened in the current tab or a new tab. If you're anything like me, you open tons of tabs and visit hundreds of webpages over the course of a week. The vomnibar puts all of that at your fingertips.

Josh Branchaud

Open Tabs, Browser History, and Bookmarks with the Vomnibar

Vimium's Vomnibar is a "command palette"-like search tool for your open tabs, browser history, and bookmarks.

Another aspect of Vimium's configurability is customizable key mappings. We can add new mappings and override existing ones. If there is a certain Vimium feature you want to make easier to trigger, adjust the key mapping to suit your needs.

Configure Custom Vimium Key Mappings

Another aspect of Vimium's configurability is customizable key mappings. We can add new mappings and override existing ones.