Systematic Debugging

Help me debug an issue using a structured approach.

Step 1: Understand the Problem

• What is the expected behavior?
• What is the actual behavior?
• When did it start happening?
• Is it reproducible? How?

Step 2: Gather Evidence

• Check error messages and stack traces
• Review recent changes (git log, git diff)
• Check logs (application, system, browser console)
• Note the environment (OS, versions, config)

Step 3: Form Hypotheses

Based on evidence, list possible causes ranked by likelihood:

1. Most likely: ...
2. Possible: ...
3. Less likely: ...

Step 4: Test Hypotheses

For each hypothesis:

• Design a minimal test to confirm/reject
• Start with the most likely cause
• Document what you tried and results

Step 5: Isolate the Bug

• Find the minimal reproduction case
• Identify the exact line/function causing the issue
• Understand WHY it fails, not just WHERE

Step 6: Fix and Verify

• Implement the fix
• Verify the original issue is resolved
• Check for regressions
• Add a test to prevent recurrence

Output

Provide a debugging report with:

• Root cause identified
• Fix implemented
• Verification steps taken
• Prevention measures added