build-fix

name	build-fix
description	Incrementally fix build and type errors with minimal, safe changes. Use when builds fail across any language or build system.

Build and Fix

Incrementally fix build and type errors with minimal, safe changes.

Step 1: Detect Build System

Identify the project's build tool and run the build:

Indicator	Build Command
package.json with build script	npm run build or pnpm build
tsconfig.json (TypeScript only)	npx tsc --noEmit
Cargo.toml	cargo build 2>&1
pom.xml	mvn compile
build.gradle	./gradlew compileJava
go.mod	go build ./...
pyproject.toml	python -m compileall -q . or mypy .

Step 2: Parse and Group Errors

1. Run the build command and capture stderr
2. Group errors by file path
3. Sort by dependency order (fix imports/types before logic errors)
4. Count total errors for progress tracking

Step 3: Fix Loop (One Error at a Time)

For each error:

1. Read the file — Use Read tool to see error context (10 lines around the error)
2. Diagnose — Identify root cause (missing import, wrong type, syntax error)
3. Fix minimally — Use Edit tool for the smallest change that resolves the error
4. Re-run build — Verify the error is gone and no new errors introduced
5. Move to next — Continue with remaining errors

Step 4: Guardrails

Stop and ask the user if:

• A fix introduces more errors than it resolves
• The same error persists after 3 attempts (likely a deeper issue)
• The fix requires architectural changes (not just a build fix)
• Build errors stem from missing dependencies (need npm install, cargo add, etc.)

Step 5: Summary

Show results:

• Errors fixed (with file paths)
• Errors remaining (if any)
• New errors introduced (should be zero)
• Suggested next steps for unresolved issues

Recovery Strategies

Situation	Action
Missing module/import	Check if package is installed; suggest install command
Type mismatch	Read both type definitions; fix the narrower type
Circular dependency	Identify cycle with import graph; suggest extraction
Version conflict	Check package.json / Cargo.toml for version constraints
Build tool misconfiguration	Read config file; compare with working defaults

Fix one error at a time for safety. Prefer minimal diffs over refactoring.