debug

dot-skills Debugging Best Practices

Debugging methodology: 54 rules across 10 categories prioritized by impact. Based on research from Andreas Zeller's "Why Programs Fail" and academic debugging curricula.

Operational Loop

Use this loop before reaching for the detailed rules:

1. Build a fast, deterministic feedback loop that can fail on the reported bug.
2. Reproduce the user's symptom with that loop.
3. Write 3-5 ranked, falsifiable hypotheses before testing fixes.
4. Instrument the narrowest point that distinguishes those hypotheses.
5. Fix the cause, then add or preserve a regression test at the highest useful test boundary.
6. Re-run the original feedback loop and remove temporary debug instrumentation.

If no reliable loop can be built, stop and name exactly what evidence is missing: logs, trace payloads, a failing fixture, a screen recording, environment access, or a reproduction script. Do not guess without a loop.

Feedback Loop Options

Try these in order, choosing the cheapest loop that reproduces the real symptom:

1. Failing unit, integration, component, route, or end-to-end test.
2. CLI command with fixture input and an expected stdout/stderr snapshot.
3. HTTP script or curl request against a local or staging server.
4. Browser automation that asserts DOM, console, network, or visual state.
5. Captured trace replay: network request, webhook payload, event log, or job payload.
6. Throwaway harness around the smallest runnable subsystem.
7. Property, fuzz, stress, or repeated-run loop for nondeterministic failures.
8. Bisection or differential loop across commits, versions, configs, or datasets.

Improve the loop itself when it is slow, flaky, or vague. A sharp 2-second loop is more valuable than a broad 2-minute suite when debugging.

Instrumentation Rules

• Map every probe to a specific hypothesis.
• Change one variable at a time.
• Prefer debugger/REPL inspection when available.
• Use targeted logs at decision boundaries, not broad log spam.
• Tag temporary logs with a unique prefix such as [DEBUG-20260607-auth].
• Grep and remove every temporary tag before finishing.

For performance regressions, measure first. Establish a baseline, capture timing or profiler evidence, and bisect before changing code.

When to Apply

• Investigating a bug or unexpected behavior
• Debugging code during development
• Code produces wrong results or crashes
• Performance issues need root cause analysis
• Triaging incoming bug reports and prioritizing fixes
• Conducting root cause analysis for incidents
• Reviewing debugging approaches or code for common bug patterns

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Problem Definition	CRITICAL	prob-
2	Hypothesis-Driven Search	CRITICAL	hypo-
3	Observation Techniques	HIGH	obs-
4	Root Cause Analysis	HIGH	rca-
5	Tool Mastery	MEDIUM-HIGH	tool-
6	Bug Triage and Classification	MEDIUM	triage-
7	Common Bug Patterns	MEDIUM	pattern-
8	Fix Verification	MEDIUM	verify-
9	Anti-Patterns	MEDIUM	anti-
10	Prevention & Learning	LOW-MEDIUM	prev-

Quick Reference

1. Problem Definition (CRITICAL)

• prob-reproduce-before-debug - Reproduce the bug before investigating
• prob-minimal-reproduction - Create minimal reproduction cases
• prob-document-symptoms - Document symptoms precisely
• prob-separate-symptoms-causes - Separate symptoms from causes
• prob-state-expected-actual - State expected vs actual behavior
• prob-recent-changes - Check recent changes first

2. Hypothesis-Driven Search (CRITICAL)

• hypo-scientific-method - Apply the scientific method
• hypo-binary-search - Use binary search to localize bugs
• hypo-one-change-at-time - Test one hypothesis at a time
• hypo-where-not-what - Find WHERE before asking WHAT
• hypo-rule-out-obvious - Rule out obvious causes first
• hypo-rubber-duck - Explain the problem aloud

3. Observation Techniques (HIGH)

• obs-strategic-logging - Use strategic logging
• obs-log-inputs-outputs - Log function inputs and outputs
• obs-breakpoint-strategy - Use breakpoints strategically
• obs-stack-trace-reading - Read stack traces bottom to top
• obs-watch-expressions - Use watch expressions for state
• obs-trace-data-flow - Trace data flow through system

4. Root Cause Analysis (HIGH)

• rca-five-whys - Use the 5 Whys technique
• rca-fault-propagation - Trace fault propagation chains
• rca-last-known-good - Find the last known good state
• rca-question-assumptions - Question your assumptions
• rca-examine-boundaries - Examine system boundaries

5. Tool Mastery (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• tool-conditional-breakpoints - Use conditional breakpoints
• tool-logpoints - Use logpoints instead of modifying code
• tool-step-commands - Master step over/into/out
• tool-call-stack-navigation - Navigate the call stack
• tool-memory-inspection - Inspect memory and object state
• tool-exception-breakpoints - Use exception breakpoints

6. Bug Triage and Classification (MEDIUM)

• triage-severity-vs-priority - Separate severity from priority
• triage-user-impact-assessment - Assess user impact before prioritizing
• triage-reproducibility-matters - Factor reproducibility into triage
• triage-quick-wins-first - Identify and ship quick wins first
• triage-duplicate-detection - Detect and link duplicate bug reports

7. Common Bug Patterns (MEDIUM)

• pattern-null-pointer - Recognize null pointer patterns
• pattern-off-by-one - Spot off-by-one errors
• pattern-race-condition - Identify race condition symptoms
• pattern-memory-leak - Detect memory leak patterns
• pattern-type-coercion - Watch for type coercion bugs
• pattern-async-await-errors - Catch async/await error handling mistakes
• pattern-timezone-issues - Recognize timezone and date bugs

8. Fix Verification (MEDIUM)

• verify-reproduce-fix - Verify with original reproduction
• verify-regression-check - Check for regressions
• verify-understand-why-fix-works - Understand why fix works
• verify-add-test - Add test to prevent recurrence

9. Anti-Patterns (MEDIUM)

• anti-shotgun-debugging - Avoid shotgun debugging
• anti-quick-patch - Avoid quick patches without understanding
• anti-tunnel-vision - Avoid tunnel vision on initial hypothesis
• anti-debug-fatigue - Recognize debugging fatigue
• anti-blame-tool - Don't blame the tool too quickly

10. Prevention & Learning (LOW-MEDIUM)

• prev-document-solution - Document bug solutions
• prev-postmortem - Conduct blameless postmortems
• prev-defensive-coding - Add defensive code at boundaries
• prev-improve-error-messages - Improve error messages

How to Use

Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:

• Section definitions - Category structure and impact levels
• Rule template - Template for adding new rules
• Example rules: prob-reproduce-before-debug, hypo-binary-search

Full Compiled Document

For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md

Attribution

The operational loop incorporates debugging workflow ideas adapted from Matt Pocock's MIT-licensed diagnose skill.