How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/root-cause-tracing:root-cause-tracingThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
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TRACE BACKWARD TO THE BUG'S ORIGIN
Don't patch symptoms - fix the disease
SYMPTOM
↓ Where does this value come from?
IMMEDIATE CAUSE
↓ What set that to wrong value?
DEEPER CAUSE
↓ Why did that happen?
ROOT CAUSE ← Fix HERE
Q: What exactly went wrong?
→ Document the exact symptom
→ Note file, line, error message
Q: Where does this value/state come from?
→ Find the direct source
→ Check: is THIS the bug or just a carrier?
Q: What set THAT to the wrong value?
→ Follow the data flow backward
→ Each step: is this the origin or just passing it along?
SIGNS YOU'VE FOUND ROOT:
- Logic error in requirements interpretation
- Initial state incorrectly set
- Wrong assumption in algorithm
- Missing validation at entry point
- Broken invariant at creation
You've found root cause when:
You're still at symptoms if:
| Bug Pattern | Root Usually At |
|---|---|
| Wrong value displayed | Data calculation, not display code |
| Null pointer | Where object should've been created |
| Off-by-one | Loop bounds definition, not body |
| Race condition | Shared state design, not specific access |
| Invalid state | State transition logic, not current handler |
❌ Symptom Patching
// Bad: Fix where error happens
if (value === undefined) value = defaultValue
// Good: Find why value is undefined
❌ Guard Stacking
// Bad: Add guards everywhere
if (x) if (y) if (z) doThing()
// Good: Ensure x, y, z correct at source
❌ Quick Fix Pressure
"Just make it work" → Technical debt
Better: "5 more minutes tracing saves 5 hours debugging later"
After identifying root cause:
Use with:
assumption-checker → Was root cause an assumption?dependency-validator → Was root cause a broken dependency?pre-action-verifier → Verify root cause fix before applyingnpx claudepluginhub a-ariff/ariff-claude-plugins --plugin root-cause-tracingTraces root causes of errors, stack traces, test failures, and build issues by gathering evidence, following call chains backward, and explaining the full causation narrative in structured format.
Guides systematic root cause analysis for bugs, test failures, unexpected behavior, and technical issues before implementing fixes.
Guides through 4-phase root cause analysis (observe, hypothesize, verify, fix) to debug software bugs systematically.