Enhanced Code Preview in Composer/Chat UI

Feature Requests
1

Problem Statement

Currently, Cursor AI’s composer and chat interfaces only show approximately 30 lines of code when previewing changes, severely limiting developers’ ability to review modifications before application. This limitation becomes particularly problematic when:

  • Making large-scale changes across files
  • Working in WSL or SSH environments where file links are broken
  • Needing to verify complex code modifications
  • Reviewing changes that span multiple functions or classes
  • Working with cross-platform development environments

Proposed Solution

Implement an enhanced code preview system within the composer and chat interfaces that provides comprehensive visibility of all code changes.

Core Functionality

1. Expandable Code Previews

  • Show full context of changes beyond current 30-line limit
  • Collapsible/expandable code sections
  • Toggle between compact and full views
  • Syntax highlighting in preview mode
  • Line numbering for better reference

2. Multi-file Preview Dashboard

  • Side-by-side diff view
  • Full file context availability
  • Easy navigation between changed files
  • Change summary overview
  • Collapse/expand all changes option

3. Cross-platform Integration

  • Proper file path handling for WSL
  • SSH-aware file resolution
  • Platform-agnostic preview functionality
  • Remote file content caching
  • Local preview for remote files

Use Case Examples

  1. Large File Changes

    • Developer modifies multiple functions
    • Needs to see entire context of changes
    • Can expand preview to show full modification scope
    • Reviews changes with proper context

  2. Cross-platform Development

    • Developer using Windows with WSL
    • Modifies files in Linux environment
    • Preview shows complete changes regardless of platform
    • No need to manually locate files

  3. Remote Development

    • Working via SSH connection
    • Multiple file modifications
    • Full preview available in UI
    • No dependency on file linking

Benefits

1. Development Efficiency

  • Faster code review process
  • Reduced context switching
  • Better understanding of changes
  • Fewer errors from limited context

2. Cross-platform Development

  • Improved WSL support
  • Better SSH workflow
  • Platform-independent functionality
  • Consistent experience across environments

3. Quality Assurance

  • More thorough code review
  • Better change validation
  • Reduced risk of unintended changes
  • Improved code understanding

Technical Considerations

  • Performance impact of larger previews
  • Memory management for multiple files
  • Remote file handling
  • Cross-platform path resolution
  • UI responsiveness with large files
  • Preview rendering optimization

Implementation Suggestions

  1. UI Components

    • Resizable preview panes
    • Minimap for navigation
    • Search within preview
    • Quick jump to sections

  2. File Handling

    • Efficient file loading
    • Incremental content fetching
    • Background loading for large files
    • Cache management

  3. Platform Integration

    • WSL path translation
    • SSH file resolution
    • Remote content streaming
    • Path normalization

Priority Level

High - This feature would significantly improve development workflow and code review processes, especially in cross-platform environments.

Would appreciate community feedback on:

  1. Preferred preview size limits
  2. Must-have features for code inspection
  3. Specific cross-platform scenarios to support
  4. Performance expectations for large files