cross-platform-compatibility

Comprehensive guide to writing code that works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Covers file path handling, environment detection, platform-specific features, and testing strategies.

aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts|Updated Apr 8, 2026

Works with

Claude CodeCursorClineWindsurfCodex

Installation Guide

Select your AI agent

How to use cross-platform-compatibility on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

›Cursor installed and configured on your machine
›Node.js 16+ with npm — verify with node --version
›Active project directory where you want to add cross-platform-compatibility

Run the install command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill cross-platform-compatibility

Fetches cross-platform-compatibility from aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts and configures it for Cursor.

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI shows a list of agents. Use arrow keys and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?

│

│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ────────────────

│ · Cline · Codex · Goose · Windsurf

│ ●Cursor(selected)

│ · Cursor · Aider · Continue

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/cross-platform-compatibility

Restart Cursor to activate cross-platform-compatibility. Access via /cross-platform-compatibility in your agent's command palette.

⚠

Security Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your environment. Always review source, verify the publisher, and test in isolation before production.

›View source on GitHub ›Skills CLI docs ›About Cursor ›What are agent skills?

Documentation

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Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs

Example

Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios

✓

Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage

Competitive Analysis

Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps

Example

Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities

✓

Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days

Roadmap Prioritization

Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs

Example

Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale

When to Use

Building applications for multiple operating systems

Handling file system operations

Managing platform-specific dependencies

Detecting operating system and architecture

Working with environment variables

Building cross-platform CLI tools

Dealing with line endings and character encodings

Managing platform-specific build processes

Quick Start

Minimal working example:

// ❌ BAD: Hardcoded paths with platform-specific separators const configPath = "C:\\Users\\user\\config.json"; // Windows only const dataPath = "/home/user/data.txt"; // Unix only // ✅ GOOD: Use path module import path from "path"; import os from "os"; // Platform-independent path construction const configPath = path.join(os.homedir(), "config", "app.json"); const dataPath = path.join(process.cwd(), "data", "users.txt"); // Resolve relative paths const absolutePath = path.resolve("./config/settings.json"); // Get path components const dirname = path.dirname("/path/to/file.txt"); // '/path/to' const basename = path.basename("/path/to/file.txt"); // 'file.txt' const extname = path.extname("/path/to/file.txt"); // '.txt' // Normalize paths (handle .. and .) const normalized = path.normalize("/path/to/../file.txt"); // '/path/file.txt'

Reference Guides

Detailed implementations in the references/ directory:

Guide

Contents

File Path Handling

Platform Detection

Line Endings

Environment Variables

Shell Commands

File Permissions

Process Management

Platform-Specific Dependencies

Testing Across Platforms

Character Encoding

Build Configuration

Best Practices

✅ DO

Use path.join() or path.resolve() for paths

Use os.EOL for line endings

Detect platform at runtime when needed

Test on all target platforms

Use optionalDependencies for platform-specific modules

Handle file permissions gracefully

Use shell escaping for user input

Normalize line endings in text files

Use UTF-8 encoding by default

Document platform-specific behavior

Provide fallbacks for platform-specific features

Use CI/CD to test on multiple platforms

❌ DON'T

Hardcode file paths with backslashes or forward slashes

Assume Unix-only features (signals, permissions, symlinks)

Ignore Windows-specific quirks (drive letters, UNC paths)

Use platform-specific commands without fallbacks

Assume case-sensitive file systems

Forget about different line endings

Use platform-specific APIs without checking

Hardcode environment variable access patterns

Ignore character encoding issues

cross-platform-compatibility

Installation Guide

How to use cross-platform-compatibility on Cursor

Prerequisites

Run the install command

Select Cursor when prompted

Verify installation

Security Notice

Documentation

List & Monetize Your Skill

Use Cases

User Story & Requirements Generation

Competitive Analysis

Roadmap Prioritization

Install Skill

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Table of Contents

Overview

When to Use

Quick Start

Reference Guides

Best Practices

✅ DO

❌ DON'T

Stakeholder Communication

Implementation Guide

Best Practices

When to Use This

Learning Path

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Reviews

Discussion