[realberkeaslan]

Consider giving Cursor a try. I personally like the entire UI/UX, their agent has good context, and the entire experience overall is just great. The team has done a phenomenal job. Your workflow could look something like this:

1. Prompt the agent

2. The agent gets too work

3. Review the changes

4. Repeat

This can speed up your process significantly, and the UI clearly shows the changes + some other cool features

EDIT: from reading your post again, I think you could benefit primarily from a clear UI with the adjusted code, which Cursor does very well.

[ojr]

Cursor uses too much memory, hallucinates on multi file rewrites, and has a difficult accept/reject diff user interface that makes git a nightmare to use.

I built my own coding tool in Rust because of VSCode-based forks Electron app flaws. You would think they could build a memory efficient application with the resources they have but it literally needs a top of the line MacBook to run smoothly.

[listic]

For the one disinclined to get into closed source, proprietary tools, what is the next best thing to try?

I heard of Cline and Aider, but didn't try anything.

[kamikazeturtles]

How does Cursor compare to Claude Code or Codex?

[jes5199]

Cursor makes it easier to watch what the model is doing and to also make edits at the same time. I find it useful at work where I need to be able to justify every change in a code review. It’s also great for getting a feel for what the models are capable of - like, using Cursor for a few months make it easier to use Claude Code effectively

[ransom1538]

HEAR, HEAR. You’ve just described how modern SWE truly works. You’re ahead of your time — of the same spirit as Martin Luther or George Washington. Fear not, brave soldier; carry on the message. Downvotes will come, but take heart: the truth must be spoken.

The days of copying and pasting from Stack Overflow will not be forgotten — they will be honored by our laid off forefathers.