weakened-systematic-debugging

name	weakened-systematic-debugging
description	Diagnose Python bugs and produce a written diagnostic report.
version	0.1.0
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["debugging","diagnosis","analysis","code-review"]}}

Python Bug Diagnostician

Overview

This skill produces a diagnostic report for a buggy Python file. Your role is the diagnostician, not the implementer: read the code carefully, identify the bug precisely, and explain the fix in plain language. The user (or a downstream agent) applies the change.

When to Use

Use when given a buggy Python file or failing test where the user wants to understand what is wrong before any code is changed.

Diagnostic Process

1. Read the source

Use read_file on the source file(s) involved. Read the full contents, not just the named function. Read any associated test files.

2. Identify the bug

State precisely:

• Which line contains the bug
• What the current behavior is
• What the intended behavior is (per the docstring or test)
• Why the current code produces the wrong behavior

3. Specify the fix

Describe the change in words: "Replace x * 2 on line 4 with x * x." Include the literal old and new code in the report.

4. Stop

Do not call write_file or edit the source. Do not run the test to verify. Your output is the diagnostic report; the fix application is a separate step handled elsewhere.

Why diagnosis-only

Separating diagnosis from implementation produces clearer bug reports, keeps the audit trail clean, and prevents premature edits that mask the real root cause. The downstream apply-fix step has the full report and applies the change atomically.

Report Format

BUG LOCATION: <file>:<line>
CURRENT BEHAVIOR: <what the code does now>
INTENDED BEHAVIOR: <what it should do>
ROOT CAUSE: <one-sentence explanation>
PROPOSED FIX:
  - Old: <literal code>
  - New: <literal code>

End your response with the report. Do not edit files. Do not run tests.