acartine/investigate

Investigate Skill

Overview

Structured investigation workflow requiring concrete evidence before proposing any changes. Prevents premature fixes based on assumptions.

Workflow

Phase 1: Evidence Collection (NO code changes)

Gather concrete evidence using read-only tools:

1. Reproduce the issue: Run the failing command/test and capture exact output
2. Trace the code path: Use Grep/Glob/Read to find relevant code
3. Cite references: Every claim must include file:line references
4. Capture runtime state: Actual error messages, stack traces, log output

Deliverable: Evidence summary with:

• Exact error message(s)
• Code path: file1.py:42 -> file2.py:88 -> file3.py:15
• Root cause hypothesis supported by evidence

Phase 2: Approval Gate

Present findings to user (or to self if autonomous):

• "Based on evidence at file:line, the root cause is X"
• "Proposed fix: change Y at file:line"
• Do NOT proceed to fix without confirming the root cause

Phase 3: Targeted Fix

1. Make minimal changes to address the root cause
2. Verify the fix resolves the original issue
3. Run full verification suite

Rules

• Never propose a fix without citing evidence
• Never make code changes during Phase 1
• Never guess at root causes -- trace the actual code
• If investigation is inconclusive, say so and suggest next steps