Debugging Skills
A collection of systematic debugging methodologies that ensure thorough investigation before attempting fixes.
Available Sub-Skills
Systematic Debugging
Location: systematic-debugging/SKILL.md
Four-phase debugging framework: Root Cause Investigation → Pattern Analysis → Hypothesis Testing → Implementation. The iron law: NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRST.
Root Cause Tracing
Location: root-cause-tracing/SKILL.md
Trace bugs backward through the call stack to find the original trigger. Don't fix symptoms - find where invalid data originated and fix at the source.
Defense-in-Depth Validation
Location: defense-in-depth/SKILL.md
Validate at every layer data passes through to make bugs structurally impossible. Four layers: Entry Point → Business Logic → Environment Guards → Debug Instrumentation.
Verification Before Completion
Location: verification-before-completion/SKILL.md
Run verification commands and confirm output before claiming success. The iron law: NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE.
When to Use
- Bug in production → Start with systematic-debugging
- Error deep in stack trace → Use root-cause-tracing
- Fixing a bug → Apply defense-in-depth after finding root cause
- About to claim "done" → Use verification-before-completion
Quick Dispatch
| Symptom | Sub-Skill |
|---|---|
| Test failure, unexpected behavior | systematic-debugging |
| Error appears in wrong location | root-cause-tracing |
| Same bug keeps recurring | defense-in-depth |
| Need to confirm fix works | verification-before-completion |
Core Philosophy
"Systematic debugging is FASTER than guess-and-check thrashing."
From real debugging sessions:
- Systematic approach: 15-30 minutes to fix
- Random fixes approach: 2-3 hours of thrashing
- First-time fix rate: 95% vs 40%