x-ipe-task-based-bug-fix

name	x-ipe-task-based-bug-fix
description	Diagnose and fix bugs in existing code. Use when something is broken, not working as expected, or producing errors. Triggers on requests like "fix bug", "something is broken", "not working".

Task-Based Skill: Bug Fix

Purpose

Systematically diagnose, fix, and verify bug resolutions by:

1. Understanding and reproducing the reported bug
2. Diagnosing root cause through code analysis
3. Analyzing proposed fix for conflicts with existing logic
4. Writing a failing test before implementing the minimal fix
5. Verifying the fix with no regressions

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Important Notes

BLOCKING: Learn x-ipe-workflow-task-execution skill before executing this skill.

Note: If Agent does not have skill capability, go to .github/skills/ folder to learn skills. SKILL.md is the entry point.

Bug Categories Reference:

Category	Symptoms	Typical Causes
Logic Error	Wrong output	Incorrect conditions
Null Reference	Crash/exception	Missing null checks
Race Condition	Intermittent failure	Async timing issues
Off-by-One	Wrong count	Loop/index errors
Resource Leak	Slowdown/crash	Missing cleanup
Integration	External fail	API changes

IMPORTANT: When process_preference.interaction_mode == "dao-represent-human-to-interact", NEVER stop to ask the human. Instead, call x-ipe-assistant-user-representative-Engineer to get the answer. The DAO skill acts as the human representative and will provide the guidance needed to continue.

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Input Parameters

input:
  # Task attributes (from task board)
  task_id: "{TASK-XXX}"
  task_based_skill: "x-ipe-task-based-bug-fix"

  # Execution context (passed by x-ipe-workflow-task-execution)
  execution_mode: "free-mode | workflow-mode"  # default: free-mode
  workflow:
    name: "N/A"  # workflow name, default: N/A

  # Task type attributes
  category: "standalone"
  next_task_based_skill: null
  process_preference:
    interaction_mode: "{from input process_preference.interaction_mode}"

  # Required inputs
  bug_description: "{description of the bug}"
  expected_behavior: "{what should happen}"
  actual_behavior: "{what actually happens}"

  # Context (optional)
  reproduction_steps: "{steps to reproduce, if known}"
  environment_info: "{environment details, if relevant}"

  # Tech context (optional — auto-detected from affected files if not provided)
  program_type: "frontend | backend | fullstack | cli | library | skills | mcp | ..."  # non-exhaustive
  tech_stack: []  # e.g. ["Python/Flask", "JavaScript/Vanilla"]

Input Initialization

<input_init>
  <field name="task_id" source="x-ipe+all+task-board-management (auto-generated)" />
  <field name="execution_mode" source="x-ipe-workflow-task-execution (from --workflow-mode@{name})" />
  <field name="workflow.name" source="x-ipe-workflow-task-execution (from --workflow-mode@{name})" />
  <field name="process_preference.interaction_mode" source="from caller (x-ipe-workflow-task-execution) or default 'interact-with-human'" />
  <field name="bug_description" source="from human input" />
  <field name="expected_behavior" source="from human input" />
  <field name="actual_behavior" source="from human input" />
  <field name="reproduction_steps" source="from human input or 'N/A'" />
  <field name="program_type" source="auto-detect from affected files if not provided (check file extensions: .py→backend, .js/.ts/.css/.html→frontend)" />
  

---

Definition of Ready

<definition_of_ready>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Bug description provided</name>
    <verification>Check that a clear description of the bug exists</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Expected vs actual behavior documented</name>
    <verification>Both expected and actual behavior are stated</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="recommended">
    <name>Steps to reproduce provided</name>
    <verification>Check if reproduction steps are available</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="recommended">
    <name>Environment info provided</name>
    <verification>Check if environment details are relevant and available</verification>
  

---

Execution Flow

Step	Name	Action	Gate
1	Understand	Read bug description, categorize severity	Bug understood
2	Reproduce	Follow steps to confirm bug occurs; if UI bug + browser tools enabled in config, use them to reproduce	Bug reproduced
3	Diagnose	Trace root cause, check technical design	Root cause found
4	Design Fix	Identify fix options, choose minimal fix	Fix approach selected
5	Conflict Analysis	Detect conflicts with existing logic, validate against user request	Conflicts resolved
6	Write Test	Create failing test that reproduces bug	Test fails
7	Implement	Write minimum code to fix bug	Test passes
8	Verify	Confirm bug fixed, all tests pass; if UI bug, route to browser validation tools from config	DoD validated
9.1	Decide Next Action	DAO-assisted next task decision	Next action decided
9.2	Execute Next Action	Load skill, generate plan, execute	Execution started

BLOCKING: Step 5 must complete before Step 6 — do NOT write tests with unresolved conflicts. BLOCKING: Step 6 to 7 is blocked until test is written and FAILS. BLOCKING: Step 7 to 8 is blocked until the new test PASSES. BLOCKING: If fix changes key interfaces, update technical design FIRST.

---

Execution Procedure

<procedure name="bug-fix">
  <!-- CRITICAL: Both DoR/DoD check elements below are MANDATORY -->
  <execute_dor_checks_before_starting/>
  <schedule_dod_checks_with_sub_agent_before_starting/>

  <step_1>
    <name>Understand the Bug</name>
    <action>
      1. Read bug description carefully
      2. Clarify if unclear: What was expected? What actually happened? When did it start?
      3. Categorize severity:
         - Critical: System down or data loss
         - High: Feature broken
         - Medium: Partial functionality
         - Low: Minor issue
    </action>
    <output>Bug understood with severity classification</output>
  </step_1>

  <step_2>
    <name>Reproduce the Bug</name>
    <action>
      1. IF reproduction steps provided: follow them exactly, confirm bug occurs
         ELSE: analyze symptoms, create hypothesis, design test case, attempt to reproduce
      2. Document exact steps, environment conditions, and error messages
      3. BROWSER VALIDATION ROUTING (for UI bugs):
         a. IF context indicates this is a UI bug (e.g., visual issue, CSS problem, DOM behavior, browser rendering):
            READ CONFIG: x-ipe-docs/config/tools.json → stages.feedback.bug_fix
            - IF config has x-ipe-tool-ui-testing-via-chrome-mcp == true:
              → Use browser tools to reproduce the bug visually
              → Take screenshot/snapshot of the broken state for reference
              → Check browser console for errors or warnings
            - ELSE: skip browser reproduction (rely on test-based reproduction)
         b. ELSE: skip browser reproduction
    </action>
    <>Documented reproduction steps with confirmed bug occurrence
  

  
    Diagnose Root Cause
    
      1. Read related code starting from error location, trace backwards
      2. Check recent changes via git log
      3. If feature-related bug, read technical design at
         x-ipe-docs/requirements/FEATURE-XXX/technical-design.md
      4. Identify root cause: what lines, why it occurs, what triggers it
      5. Document: root cause, affected files, risk assessment, design impact
    
    
      - CRITICAL: Distinguish design flaw vs implementation error
    
    Root cause analysis with affected files and risk assessment
  

  
    Design Fix
    
      1. Identify fix options (Option A, Option B, etc.)
      2. Evaluate each: code impact, regression risk, complexity, design compatibility
      3. Choose minimal fix: smallest change, lowest risk, most maintainable
      4. IF fix requires changes to key components or interfaces:
         UPDATE technical-design.md FIRST, add entry to Design Change Log
    
    
      - BLOCKING: Do NOT make incompatible changes to key components without updating design first
      - CRITICAL: If fix changes component interfaces, data models, or workflows documented in
        technical design, update the document and add Design Change Log entry before implementing
    
    Selected fix approach
  

  
    Conflict Analysis
    
      1. Spawn sub-agent (Conflict Detector) to analyze the proposed fix against existing logic:
         - Read the affected files and their callers/dependents
         - Identify behavioral changes: existing functionality that will behave differently after fix
         - Identify interface changes: public APIs, data models, or contracts affected
         - Identify assumption changes: implicit assumptions in related code the fix may violate
         - Output: list of conflicts with description and affected code locations (empty if none)
      2. IF no conflicts found: proceed to Step 6
      3. IF conflicts found: spawn sub-agent (Conflict Validator) to check each conflict:
         - Compare each conflict against the user's original bug_description and expected_behavior
         - Classify each conflict as:
           - "expected": the user's request explicitly or implicitly requires this behavioral change
           - "unexpected": the change goes beyond what the user requested
         - Output: classified conflict list
      4. IF all conflicts are "expected": proceed to Step 6
      5. IF any conflicts are "unexpected":
         - Present unexpected conflicts with clear explanation of what will change
         - Ask: (a) confirm the change is acceptable, OR (b) clarify the original request
         - IF confirmed: proceed to Step 6
         - IF clarified: return to Step 4 (Design Fix) with updated understanding

         Response source (based on interaction_mode):
         IF process_preference.interaction_mode == "dao-represent-human-to-interact":
           → Resolve via x-ipe-assistant-user-representative-Engineer
         ELSE (interact-with-human/dao-represent-human-to-interact-for-questions-in-skill):
           → Ask human for decision
    
    
      - BLOCKING: Do NOT proceed to Step 6 if unexpected conflicts are unresolved
      - CRITICAL: Conflict Detector must examine actual codebase (callers, dependents), not just the fix in isolation
      - CRITICAL: Conflict Validator must compare against user's ORIGINAL bug request, not the fix design
    
    Validated fix approach with all conflicts resolved or confirmed
  

  
    Write Failing Test
    
      1. Determine test type from program_type/tech_stack and affected file:
         - Backend bug (Python/server code) → pytest test
         - Frontend bug (JS/CSS file) → JS test using Vitest/Jest + jsdom (NOT string matching in pytest)
         - Fullstack bug → test both layers: pytest for backend, Vitest for frontend
         - If program_type not provided, auto-detect from affected file extensions
         - CRITICAL: For JS logic bugs, use a proper JS test runner. If not configured, set it up.
      2. Locate existing test file in tests/ folder for the affected component
      3. If no test file exists, create one following project test conventions
      4. Write test case that reproduces the bug with descriptive name
      5. Run the test and confirm it FAILS
    
    
      - BLOCKING: Test MUST fail before proceeding to Step 7
      - BLOCKING: Do NOT write fix code before test fails
      - CRITICAL: If test passes, revise it - test does not capture the bug
      - CRITICAL: For frontend bugs, ensure test covers the JS/CSS behavior, not just backend
    
    Failing test that reproduces the bug
  

  
    Implement Fix
    
      1. Implement the minimal fix: only change what is necessary, follow code style
      2. Run the new test: it MUST now pass
      3. Run ALL existing tests: all must pass, no regressions allowed
    
    
      - BLOCKING: New test must pass after fix
      - BLOCKING: All existing tests must pass
    
    Minimal code fix with all tests passing
  

  
    Verify Fix
    
      1. Follow original reproduction steps, confirm bug is fixed
      2. Run full test suite, perform manual smoke test
      3. BROWSER VALIDATION ROUTING (for UI bugs):
         a. IF context indicates this is a UI bug (e.g., visual issue, CSS problem, DOM behavior, browser rendering):
            READ CONFIG: x-ipe-docs/config/tools.json → stages.feedback.bug_fix
            - IF config has x-ipe-tool-ui-testing-via-chrome-mcp == true:
              → Use browser tools to validate the fix visually:
                i.   Navigate to the affected page/component
                ii.  Follow original reproduction steps — confirm bug no longer occurs
                iii. Take screenshot/snapshot of the fixed state
                iv.  Check browser console for new errors or warnings introduced by fix
                v.   Verify no visual regressions in surrounding UI elements
              → IF browser validation fails: return to Step 7 to adjust fix
            - ELSE: rely on test suite results only
         b. ELSE: rely on test suite results only
      4. Document: what was changed, why it fixes the bug, any side effects
    
    
      - Bug can no longer be reproduced
      - Full test suite passes
      - Browser validation passes (if UI bug and browser tools enabled in config)
      - Fix is documented
    
    Verified fix with documentation
  

  
    
      Decide Next Action
      
        Collect the full context and task_completion_output from this skill execution.

        IF process_preference.interaction_mode == "dao-represent-human-to-interact":
          → Invoke x-ipe-assistant-user-representative-Engineer with:
            type: "routing"
            completed_skill_output: {full task_completion_output YAML from this skill}
            next_task_based_skill: "{from output}"
            context: "Skill completed. Study the context and full output to decide best next action."
          → DAO studies the complete context and decides the best next action
        ELSE (interact-with-human):
          → Present next task suggestion to human and wait for instruction
      
      
        - BLOCKING (interact-with-human): Human MUST confirm or redirect before proceeding
        - BLOCKING (auto): Proceed after DoD verification; auto-select next task via DAO
      
      Next action decided with execution context
    
    
      Execute Next Action
      
        Based on the decision from Step 9.1:
        1. Load the target task-based skill's SKILL.md
        2. Generate an execution plan from the skill's Execution Flow table
        3. Start execution from the skill's first phase/step
      
      
        - MUST load the skill before executing — do not skip skill loading
        - Execution follows the target skill's procedure, not this skill's
      
      Next task execution started
    
  

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Output Result

task_completion_output:
  category: "standalone"
  status: completed | blocked
  next_task_based_skill: null
  process_preference:
    interaction_mode: "{from input process_preference.interaction_mode}"
  execution_mode: "{from input}"
  workflow:
    name: "{from input}"
  task_output_links:
    - "{path to fixed source file}"
    - "{path to test file}"
  # Dynamic attributes
  bug_severity: "Critical | High | Medium | Low"
  root_cause: "{brief description of root cause}"
  conflicts_found: []  # list of conflicts identified, empty if none

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Definition of Done

CRITICAL: Use a sub-agent to validate DoD checkpoints independently.

<definition_of_done>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Bug can no longer be reproduced</name>
    <verification>Follow original reproduction steps and confirm bug does not occur</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Conflict analysis completed</name>
    <verification>Confirm conflicts were checked and all unexpected conflicts resolved with user</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Failing test written before fix</name>
    <verification>Confirm test was committed before fix code, and test fails without fix</verification>
  </checkpoint>
  <checkpoint required="true">
    <name>Test passes after fix</name>
    <verification>Run the bug-specific test and confirm it passes</verification>
  
  
    All existing tests pass
    Run full test suite and confirm zero failures
  
  
    Fix documented
    Check that root cause, fix description, and any side effects are documented
  
  
    Browser validation passed (if UI bug and browser tools enabled)
    IF context indicates UI bug AND stages.feedback.bug_fix config has x-ipe-tool-ui-testing-via-chrome-mcp enabled: confirm browser-based validation shows fix works visually, no console errors, no visual regressions
  

MANDATORY: After completing this skill, return to x-ipe-workflow-task-execution to continue the task execution flow.

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Patterns & Anti-Patterns

Pattern: Test-First Bug Fix

When: Bug is clearly reproducible Then:

1. Write test that reproduces bug
2. Verify test fails
3. Fix code
4. Verify test passes
5. Verify no regressions

Pattern: Conflict-Aware Fix

When: Fix changes behavior that other code depends on Then:

1. Design fix approach
2. Detect conflicts with existing logic (sub-agent)
3. Validate conflicts against user's original request (sub-agent)
4. If unexpected conflicts: ask user to confirm or clarify
5. Only then proceed to write test and implement

Pattern: Binary Search Diagnosis

When: Bug source is unclear Then:

1. Find last known working state (git bisect)
2. Find first broken state
3. Narrow down to specific commit
4. Analyze changes in that commit

Pattern: Defensive Fix

When: Root cause is external or unclear Then:

1. Add input validation
2. Add null checks
3. Add error handling
4. Log diagnostic info
5. Document workaround

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Why Bad	Do Instead
Fix without understanding	May fix symptom not cause	Diagnose root cause
Large refactor as fix	High regression risk	Minimal targeted fix
Skip test for bug	Bug may recur	Always add test
Skip conflict analysis	May break existing behavior silently	Always check for conflicts before implementing
Fix multiple bugs at once	Hard to verify	One bug per fix

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Examples

See references/examples.md for concrete execution examples.