debug-code

name	debug-code
description	Systematic error debugging with analysis, solution discovery, and verification
argument-hint	[error description or context] [-a for auto mode]

Debug errors systematically through a 5-step workflow: analyze the error, find potential solutions, propose options to the user, implement the fix, and verify it works through multi-layer verification.

<quick_start> Debug an error (interactive):

/debug login page crashes on submit

Auto mode (fully automatic, use recommended solutions):

/debug -a API returning 500 on POST

What it does:

1. Analyze: Reproduce error, identify root cause → ask if you have more context
2. Log Technique (if needed): Add debug logs → user runs & shares output → analyze
3. Find Solutions: Research 2-3+ potential fixes with pros/cons
4. Propose: Present options → you choose which solution
5. Fix: Implement solution with strategic logging
6. Verify: Multi-layer verification (Static → Build → Runtime)

Key principle: Tests passing ≠ fix working. Always execute the actual code path.

Log Technique: When the error can't be reproduced, strategic debug logs are added. The user runs the app and shares the console output for analysis. </quick_start>

**Battle-Tested Principles:**

1. Reproduce Before Anything Else - If you can't reproduce it, you can't verify the fix
2. Hypothesis-Driven Analysis - List 3-5 causes ranked by likelihood, test systematically
3. Multi-Layer Verification - Tests alone give false confidence (20-40% still fail in production) </core_principles>

<verification_pyramid> Verification Pyramid:

        ┌─────────────┐
        │   Manual    │  ← User confirms
        └──────┬──────┘
     ┌─────────┴─────────┐
     │ Runtime Execution │  ← CRITICAL: Real execution
     └─────────┬─────────┘
   ┌───────────┴───────────┐
   │   Automated Checks    │  ← Build, Types, Lint, Tests
   └───────────┬───────────┘
 ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
 │     Static Analysis       │  ← Syntax, Imports
 └───────────────────────────┘

Key Insight: Tests passing ≠ fix working. ALWAYS execute the actual code path. </verification_pyramid>

**Flags:**

Flag	Name	Description
-a, --auto	Auto mode	Full automatic mode - don't ask the user, use recommended solutions

Arguments:

• Everything after flags = {error_context} - Description of the error or context about what's failing

<state_variables> Persist throughout all steps:

Variable	Type	Description
{error_context}	string	User's description of the error
{auto_mode}	boolean	Skip confirmations, use recommended options
{error_analysis}	object	Detailed analysis from step 1
{debug_logs}	list	Debug logs added for cleanup (file, line, prefix)
{solutions}	list	Potential solutions found in step 2
{selected_solution}	object	User's chosen solution from step 3
{files_modified}	list	Files changed during the fix
{verification_result}	object	Results from verification step
</state_variables>

<entry_point> Load steps/step-00-init.md </entry_point>

<step_files>

Step	File	Description
0	step-00-init.md	Parse flags, setup state
1	step-01-analyze.md	Reproduce error, form hypotheses, identify root cause
1b	step-01b-log-instrumentation.md	Optional: Add debug logs, user runs & shares output
2	step-02-find-solutions.md	Research 2-3+ solutions with pros/cons
3	step-03-propose.md	Present solutions for user selection
4	step-04-fix.md	Implement with strategic logging
5	step-05-verify.md	Multi-layer verification (Static → Build → Runtime → User)
</step_files>

| File | Description | |------|-------------| | `references/log-technique.md` | Log placement patterns, prefixes, security guidelines |

<success_criteria>

• Error successfully reproduced
• Root cause identified through hypothesis testing
• 2-3+ potential solutions researched with pros/cons
• Solution selected (by user or auto mode)
• Fix implemented with strategic logging
• Static analysis passes (syntax, imports)
• Build completes successfully
• Tests pass (if tests exist)
• Runtime execution verified (actual code path executed)
• User confirms fix resolves the original issue
• No regressions introduced </success_criteria>