Multi-root Workspaces and context

Bug Reports
1

Hello,

I’m usually working with VSCode workspace file in monorepos with multiple project roots. I’m experiencing quite a few issues. The following report was actually written by the AI assistant itself, but decsribes the issue quite well. Maybe there are existing workarounds or config options that I’m not aware about ? Solving it via rules only somewhat works, unfortunately.

Cheers, Jan

Bug Report: Multi-root Workspace Support in Cursor

Issue Description

Cursor appears to have limited support for VS Code multi-root workspaces, specifically in how it handles context and tool access across different workspace roots.

Current Behavior

  1. When opening a multi-root workspace:

    • Cursor defaults to the first root in the workspace file
    • AI tools are limited to working within this default root
    • No mechanism exists to switch context between different roots
    • Absolute paths must be used to reference files in other roots

  2. Example workspace configuration:

{
  "folders": [
    { "path": "../.github" },
    { "path": "../project-a" },
    { "path": "../project-b" },
    { "path": "../project-c" },
    { "path": "../project-d" },
    { "path": "../project-e" },
    { "path": "../project-f" },
    { "path": "../examples/example-a", "name": "Example A" },
    { "path": "../examples/example-b", "name": "Example B" },
    { "path": "../examples/example-c", "name": "Example C" }
  ]
}

Expected Behavior

  1. Cursor should:

    • Recognize all roots defined in the workspace file
    • Allow AI tools to work across all roots
    • Provide a mechanism to switch context between roots
    • Support relative paths within each root
    • Maintain proper context awareness for each root’s specific project type (e.g., TypeScript/CDK, Scala, Java)

  2. The AI assistant should be able to:

    • Understand the full workspace structure
    • Access and modify files in any root
    • Maintain appropriate context for each root’s specific technology stack
    • Use relative paths within each root’s context

Impact

This limitation affects:

  1. Development workflow in monorepo setups
  2. Ability to work with related but separate projects
  3. Efficiency of AI-assisted development across project boundaries
  4. Proper context awareness for different technology stacks

Workaround

Currently, users must:

  1. Open specific project roots directly instead of using the multi-root workspace
  2. Use absolute paths when referencing files in other roots
  3. Manually maintain context awareness across different project types

Environment

  • Cursor Version: 0.50.5 (Universal)
  • OS: macOS 23.6.0
  • Workspace Type: VS Code multi-root workspace
  • Project Types: TypeScript/CDK, Scala, Java Spring Boot

Additional Context

This is particularly important for projects that:

  • Use a monorepo structure
  • Have multiple related but separate components
  • Require different technology stacks for different components
  • Need to maintain context awareness for different project types

Suggested Solution

  1. Implement proper multi-root workspace support in Cursor
  2. Add context switching capabilities for the AI assistant
  3. Maintain proper path resolution within each root
  4. Preserve technology stack awareness per root
  5. Support relative paths within each root’s context