Debugging strategies

Debugging Strategies

Transform debugging from frustrating guesswork into systematic problem-solving with proven strategies, powerful tools, and methodical approaches.

Use this skill when

• Tracking down elusive bugs
• Investigating performance issues
• Debugging production incidents
• Analyzing crash dumps or stack traces
• Debugging distributed systems

Do not use this skill when

• There is no reproducible issue or observable symptom
• The task is purely feature development
• You cannot access logs, traces, or runtime signals

Instructions

• Reproduce the issue and capture logs, traces, and environment details.
• Form hypotheses and design controlled experiments.
• Narrow scope with binary search and targeted instrumentation.
• Document findings and verify the fix.
• If detailed playbooks are required, open resources/implementation-playbook.md.

Resources

• resources/implementation-playbook.md for detailed debugging patterns and checklists.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.