devattom/debug

<objective> Debug errors systematically through a 5-step workflow: analyze the error, find potential solutions, propose options to the user, implement the fix, and verify it works through multi-layer verification. </objective>

<quick_start> Debug an error (interactive):

/debug login page crashes on submit

Auto mode (fully automatic, use recommended solutions):

/debug -a API returning 500 on POST

What it does:

1. Analyze: Reproduce error, identify root cause → ask if you have more context
2. Log Technique (if needed): Add debug logs → user runs & shares output → analyze
3. Find Solutions: Research 2-3+ potential fixes with pros/cons
4. Propose: Present options → you choose which solution
5. Fix: Implement solution with strategic logging
6. Verify: Multi-layer verification (Static → Build → Runtime)

Key principle: Tests passing ≠ fix working. Always execute the actual code path.

Log Technique: When the error can't be reproduced, strategic debug logs are added. The user runs the app and shares the console output for analysis. </quick_start>

<methodology> <core_principles> **Battle-Tested Principles:**

1. Reproduce Before Anything Else - If you can't reproduce it, you can't verify the fix
2. Hypothesis-Driven Analysis - List 3-5 causes ranked by likelihood, test systematically
3. Multi-Layer Verification - Tests alone give false confidence (20-40% still fail in production) </core_principles>

<verification_pyramid> Verification Pyramid:

        ┌─────────────┐
        │   Manual    │  ← User confirms
        └──────┬──────┘
     ┌─────────┴─────────┐
     │ Runtime Execution │  ← CRITICAL: Real execution
     └─────────┬─────────┘
   ┌───────────┴───────────┐
   │   Automated Checks    │  ← Build, Types, Lint, Tests
   └───────────┬───────────┘
 ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
 │     Static Analysis       │  ← Syntax, Imports
 └───────────────────────────┘

Key Insight: Tests passing ≠ fix working. ALWAYS execute the actual code path. </verification_pyramid> </methodology>

<parameters> **Flags:**

| Flag | Name | Description | |------|------|-------------| | -a, --auto | Auto mode | Full automatic mode - don't ask the user, use recommended solutions |

Arguments:

• Everything after flags = {error_context} - Description of the error or context about what's failing </parameters>

<state_variables> Persist throughout all steps:

| Variable | Type | Description | |----------|------|-------------| | {error_context} | string | User's description of the error | | {auto_mode} | boolean | Skip confirmations, use recommended options | | {error_analysis} | object | Detailed analysis from step 1 | | {debug_logs} | list | Debug logs added for cleanup (file, line, prefix) | | {solutions} | list | Potential solutions found in step 2 | | {selected_solution} | object | User's chosen solution from step 3 | | {files_modified} | list | Files changed during the fix | | {verification_result} | object | Results from verification step | </state_variables>

<entry_point> Load steps/step-00-init.md </entry_point>

<step_files> | Step | File | Description | |------|------|-------------| | 0 | step-00-init.md | Parse flags, setup state | | 1 | step-01-analyze.md | Reproduce error, form hypotheses, identify root cause | | 1b | step-01b-log-instrumentation.md | Optional: Add debug logs, user runs & shares output | | 2 | step-02-find-solutions.md | Research 2-3+ solutions with pros/cons | | 3 | step-03-propose.md | Present solutions for user selection | | 4 | step-04-fix.md | Implement with strategic logging | | 5 | step-05-verify.md | Multi-layer verification (Static → Build → Runtime → User) | </step_files>

<references> | File | Description | |------|-------------| | `references/log-technique.md` | Log placement patterns, prefixes, security guidelines | </references>

<success_criteria>

• Error successfully reproduced
• Root cause identified through hypothesis testing
• 2-3+ potential solutions researched with pros/cons
• Solution selected (by user or auto mode)
• Fix implemented with strategic logging
• Static analysis passes (syntax, imports)
• Build completes successfully
• Tests pass (if tests exist)
• Runtime execution verified (actual code path executed)
• User confirms fix resolves the original issue
• No regressions introduced </success_criteria>