fix

name	fix
description	Systematic approach to fixing bugs and issues in code. Use when asked to "fix this bug", "debug this issue", "resolve this error", or when troubleshooting code problems. Provides structured debugging and resolution workflow.

Fix

Systematic approach to diagnosing and fixing code issues.

When to Use

• User reports a bug or error
• User asks to "fix this", "debug this", or "resolve this error"
• Troubleshooting failing tests
• Resolving build or runtime errors

Fix Workflow

1. Understand the Problem

• What is the expected behavior?
• What is the actual behavior?
• When did it start happening?
• Can it be reproduced consistently?
• What error messages or logs are available?

2. Reproduce

• Identify minimal reproduction steps
• Confirm the issue exists in the current codebase
• Check if the issue is environment-specific

3. Diagnose

• Read error messages and stack traces carefully
• Identify the root cause vs symptoms
• Check recent changes (git log, git diff)
• Add targeted logging if needed
• Use debugger breakpoints for complex issues

4. Fix

• Make the minimal change that fixes the root cause
• Don't fix symptoms; fix the underlying issue
• Consider edge cases the fix might affect
• Maintain backward compatibility when possible

5. Verify

• Confirm the original issue is resolved
• Run existing tests to check for regressions
• Add a test case that would have caught this bug
• Test edge cases related to the fix

6. Document

• Add a brief comment explaining non-obvious fixes
• Update relevant documentation if behavior changed
• Note the fix in commit message with issue reference

Common Bug Patterns

Pattern	Signs	Typical Fix
Null reference	Cannot read property of undefined	Add null checks, optional chaining
Race condition	Intermittent failures	Use proper async/await, locks
State mutation	Unexpected state changes	Use immutable updates
Stale closure	Old values in callbacks	Use refs or functional updates
Memory leak	Growing memory usage	Clean up subscriptions, listeners
Off-by-one	Wrong array indices	Check loop bounds