Systematic Debugging

Systematic Debugging

Source: obra/​superpowers

Overview

This skill provides a structured approach to debugging that prevents random guessing and ensures problems are properly understood before solving.

4-Phase Debugging Process

Phase 1: Reproduce

Before fixing, reliably reproduce the issue.

## Reproduction Steps

1. [Exact step to reproduce]
2. [Next step]
3. [Expected vs actual result]

## Reproduction Rate

- [ ] Always (100%)
- [ ] Often (50-90%)
- [ ] Sometimes (10-50%)
- [ ] Rare (<10%)

Phase 2: Isolate

Narrow down the source.

## Isolation Questions

- When did this start happening?
- What changed recently?
- Does it happen in all environments?
- Can we reproduce with minimal code?
- What's the smallest change that triggers it?

Phase 3: Understand

Find the root cause, not just symptoms.

## Root Cause Analysis

### The 5 Whys

1. Why: [First observation]
2. Why: [Deeper reason]
3. Why: [Still deeper]
4. Why: [Getting closer]
5. Why: [Root cause]

Phase 4: Fix & Verify

Fix and verify it's truly fixed.

## Fix Verification

- [ ] Bug no longer reproduces
- [ ] Related functionality still works
- [ ] No new issues introduced
- [ ] Test added to prevent regression

Debugging Checklist

## Before Starting

- [ ] Can reproduce consistently
- [ ] Have minimal reproduction case
- [ ] Understand expected behavior

## During Investigation

- [ ] Check recent changes (git log)
- [ ] Check logs for errors
- [ ] Add logging if needed
- [ ] Use debugger/​breakpoints

## After Fix

- [ ] Root cause documented
- [ ] Fix verified
- [ ] Regression test added
- [ ] Similar code checked

Common Debugging Commands

# Recent changes
git log --oneline -20
git diff HEAD~5

# Search for pattern
grep -r "errorPattern" --include="*.ts"

# Check logs
pm2 logs app-name --err --lines 100

Anti-Patterns

❌ Random changes - "Maybe if I change this..." ❌ Ignoring evidence - "That can't be the cause" ❌ Assuming - "It must be X" without proof ❌ Not reproducing first - Fixing blindly ❌ Stopping at symptoms - Not finding root cause