structured-debug

name

structured-debug

description

AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose failing behavior, handle failing tests, analyze production incidents, investigate error spikes, or run root cause analysis (RCA).

Local Debugging Assistant

Debug with an evidence-first workflow before changing code.

Hard Rule

• Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan.

Workflow

1. Clarify

• Restate observed vs expected behavior in one concise diff.
• Confirm scope and measurable success criteria.
• Before investigating, search for similar past incidents: npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags "debug,root-cause"

2. Reproduce

• Capture minimal reproduction steps.
• Capture environment fingerprint: runtime, versions, config flags, data sample, and platform.

3. Hypothesize and Test For each hypothesis, include:

• Predicted evidence if true.
• Disconfirming evidence if false.
• Exact test command or check.
• Prefer one-variable-at-a-time tests.

4. Plan

• Present fix options with risks and verification steps.
• Recommend one option and request approval.

Validation

• Confirm a pre-fix failing signal exists.
• Confirm post-fix success using the verify skill — including regression verification for bug fixes.
• Summarize remaining risks and follow-ups.
• Store root cause and fix for future sessions: npx ai-devkit@latest memory store --title "<root cause>" --content "<diagnosis and fix>" --tags "debug,root-cause"

Red Flags and Rationalizations

Rationalization	Why It's Wrong	Do Instead
"I already know the cause"	Assumptions skip evidence	Reproduce and prove it first
"This is urgent, just fix it"	A wrong fix wastes more time	10 minutes of diagnosis saves hours
"The fix is obvious from the stack trace"	Stack traces show symptoms, not causes	Trace backward to the root cause

Output Template

Use this response structure:

• Observed vs Expected
• Repro and Environment
• Hypotheses and Tests
• Options and Recommendation
• Validation Plan and Results
• Open Questions