| 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 |
