| name | project-editor-profile |
| description | Generates editor-agnostic workspace settings from a .editor/profile.json manifest: .vscode/settings.json, extensions.json, and Cursor workspaceOpen plugin loading. Use when setting up per-project extensions, Cursor plugins, editor defaults, or porting workspace config to new repos. |
Project editor profile
Maintain a single manifest (.editor/profile.json) and generate editor files that VS Code, Cursor, and VSCodium all understand. Keeps extensions/plugins scoped to the stack instead of loading every global install.
Example in this repo: .editor/profile.json → run pnpm editor:sync.
Layout
.editor/
profile.json # Project manifest (stack, extensions, cursor plugins, settings)
defaults.settings.json # Shared baseline merged into every project
.vscode/ # Generated — commit to git
settings.json
extensions.json
.cursor/ # Generated — commit to git
hooks.json # workspaceOpen → load-workspace-plugins.mjs
scripts/
sync-editor-profile.mjs # Regenerate .vscode + .cursor/hooks.json
load-workspace-plugins.mjs # Hook: emit pluginPaths from profile
Workflow checklist
- [ ] 1. Detect stack (package.json, configs, test runners)
- [ ] 2. Edit .editor/profile.json (extensions, cursor.plugins, settings overrides)
- [ ] 3. Run: pnpm editor:sync (or node scripts/sync-editor-profile.mjs)
- [ ] 4. Reload window; accept recommended extensions when prompted
- [ ] 5. Confirm Cursor plugins load (hooks) or install missing marketplace plugins
- [ ] 6. Commit .editor/, .vscode/, .cursor/hooks.json
Step 1: Detect stack
| Signal | File / dep | Typical extensions | Unwanted (other stacks) |
|---|
| Next.js | next, next.config.* | Biome, Tailwind CSS IntelliSense | ESLint, Prettier (legacy) |
| React | react, react-dom | ESLint | — |
| TypeScript | typescript, tsconfig.json | Biome; use workspace typescript.tsdk | — |
| Tailwind | tailwindcss, @tailwindcss/postcss | Tailwind CSS IntelliSense | — |
| Playwright | @playwright/test, playwright.config.* | Playwright | — |
E2E browser (this repo): Playwright drives system Brave Beta (playwright.brave.ts), not playwright install chromium. See tests/e2e/README.md and root AGENTS.md.
| pnpm | pnpm-lock.yaml, packageManager | — | npm-only tooling |
| Python | pyproject.toml, requirements.txt | Python, Pylance | (if absent, unwanted Python) |
| Rust | Cargo.toml | rust-analyzer | (if absent, unwanted Rust) |
| Svelte | svelte, .svelte | Svelte + Cursor svelte plugin | — |
Do not recommend extensions for stacks the repo does not use — reduces attack surface and UI noise (audit-ide-dependencies).
Step 2: Edit profile.json
Minimal shape:
{
"name": "my-app",
"stack": ["next", "typescript", "pnpm"],
"extensions": {
"recommend": ["dbaeumer.vscode-eslint"],
"unwanted": ["rust-lang.rust-analyzer"]
},
"cursor": {
"plugins": [
{ "name": "shadcn", "publisher": "cursor-public", "optional": true }
]
},
"settings": {
"eslint.useFlatConfig"
extensions.recommend → .vscode/extensions.json recommendations (VS Code/Cursor prompt to install).extensions.unwanted → unwantedRecommendations (discourage irrelevant global extensions).cursor.plugins → resolved under $CURSOR_HOME/plugins/cache/<publisher>/<name>/<hash>/ by load-workspace-plugins.mjs on workspaceOpen (Cursor hooks).settings → merged over .editor/defaults.settings.json into .vscode/settings.json.
Step 3: Generate
pnpm editor:sync
Never hand-edit generated .vscode/settings.json long-term — change profile.json and re-sync.
Formatter / extension settings (important)
Cursor validates editor.defaultFormatter against installed extensions only. If ESLint is only recommended but not installed, use built-ins in profile.settings:
vscode.typescript-language-features — TS/JS formatvscode.json-language-features — JSON
Put extension-only keys in .editor/profile.extensions.json (merged by editor:sync only when that extension exists under ~/.cursor/extensions/). devprofile uses Biome (biomejs.biome) for lint + format — not ESLint.
Step 4: Good defaults (baseline)
defaults.settings.json already sets:
- 2-space indent, final newline, trim whitespace
- File nesting for
package.json / lockfiles / configs
- TypeScript import preferences and move-update-imports
- Sensible git/terminal defaults
Override per project in profile.settings only when needed (e.g. eslint.useFlatConfig, Tailwind v4 experimental.configFile, Playwright reuse browser).
devprofile baseline: Biome formatter/linter, workspace TypeScript SDK, .next / test output excludes. Tailwind/Playwright extension keys merge from profile.extensions.json when installed.
Step 5: Cursor vs VS Code
| Feature | VS Code / Cursor | Notes |
|---|
| Workspace settings | .vscode/settings.json | Same JSON schema |
| Extension recommendations | .vscode/extensions.json | Cursor uses same file |
| Cursor marketplace plugins | .cursor/hooks.json + load-workspace-plugins.mjs | Requires plugin installed in Cursor once; hook loads cache path per workspace |
| User settings | ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json | Global — do not duplicate project overrides here |
Optional: symlink agent skills per AGENTS.md; unrelated to profile.json.
Step 6: New project / extend
- Copy
.editor/defaults.settings.json and scripts/sync-editor-profile.mjs, scripts/load-workspace-plugins.mjs.
- Add
"editor:sync": "node scripts/sync-editor-profile.mjs" to package.json.
- Author
.editor/profile.json from stack table above.
- Run
pnpm editor:sync and commit outputs.
For monorepos, use one profile at the root or per-package profiles with separate sync invocations (node scripts/sync-editor-profile.mjs from each package after adjusting paths — extend script if needed).
Anti-patterns
- Putting project-only settings in global Cursor
settings.json
- Recommending every extension you personally use globally
- Hand-editing
.vscode/settings.json without updating profile.json
- Listing Cursor plugins in
profile.json that were never installed from the marketplace (use "optional": true or install first)
- Running
npm audit fix inside ~/.cursor/extensions (audit-ide-dependencies)
Related skills
References
