# Debugging > Debugging - Skill: `dnyoussef/debugging` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 20 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dnyoussef/debugging` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dnyoussef/debugging/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: DNYoussef (https://skillmd.com/u/dnyoussef) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dnyoussef/debugging --- /*============================================================================*/ /* DEBUGGING SKILL :: VERILINGUA x VERIX EDITION */ /*============================================================================*/ --- name: debugging version: 1.0.0 description: | [assert|neutral] Systematic debugging methodology using a 5-phase protocol. Use when troubleshooting code failures, investigating bugs, or analyzing unexpected behavior. Applies 10 proven debugging techniques includin [ground:given] [conf:0.95] [state:confirmed] category: delivery tags: - delivery - development - workflow author: ruv cognitive_frame: primary: aspectual goal_analysis: first_order: "Execute debugging workflow" second_order: "Ensure quality and consistency" third_order: "Enable systematic delivery processes" --- /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S0 META-IDENTITY */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] SKILL := { name: "debugging", category: "delivery", version: "1.0.0", layer: L1 } [ground:given] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S1 COGNITIVE FRAME */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] COGNITIVE_FRAME := { frame: "Aspectual", source: "Russian", force: "Complete or ongoing?" } [ground:cognitive-science] [conf:0.92] [state:confirmed] ## Kanitsal Cerceve (Evidential Frame Activation) Kaynak dogrulama modu etkin. /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S2 TRIGGER CONDITIONS */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] TRIGGER_POSITIVE := { keywords: ["debugging", "delivery", "workflow"], context: "user needs debugging capability" } [ground:given] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S3 CORE CONTENT */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ # Debugging - Systematic Code Investigation ## Kanitsal Cerceve (Evidential Frame Activation) Kaynak dogrulama modu etkin. ## When to Use This Skill - **Production Incidents**: Critical bugs affecting live users requiring rapid diagnosis - **Intermittent Failures**: Flaky tests, race conditions, or timing-dependent bugs - **Performance Issues**: Slow endpoints, memory leaks, or CPU spikes - **Integration Failures**: Third-party API errors, database connectivity issues - **Regression Analysis**: New bugs introduced by recent changes - **Complex Stack Traces**: Multi-layered errors spanning multiple services ## When NOT to Use This Skill - **Feature Development**: Building new functionality (use feature-dev-complete instead) - **Code Reviews**: Reviewing code quality or architecture (use code-review-assistant) - **Refactoring**: Restructuring code without fixing bugs (use refactoring skills) - **Known Issues**: Bugs with clear root cause already identified ## Success Criteria - [ ] Root cause identified with supporting evidence - [ ] Fix implemented and tested - [ ] Regression test added to prevent recurrence - [ ] All related test suites passing - [ ] Fix validated in production-like environment - [ ] Documentation updated with troubleshooting notes - [ ] Monitoring/alerting adjusted if needed ## Edge Cases to Handle - **Heisenbugs**: Bugs that disappear when debugger attached - **Multi-Service Failures**: Cascading errors across microservices - **Data Corruption**: State inconsistencies requiring rollback - **Timezone Issues**: Date/time bugs across regions - **Concurrency Bugs**: Race conditions, deadlocks, or thread safety - **Memory Corruption**: Pointer errors, buffer overflows in native code ## Guardrails - **NEVER** deploy debug code or verbose logging to production - **ALWAYS** reproduce bugs locally before proposing fixes - **NEVER** fix symptoms without understanding root cause - **ALWAYS** add regression tests for fixed bugs - **NEVER** disable tests to make CI pass - **ALWAYS** verify fixes do not introduce new bugs - **NEVER** modify production data without backup ## Evidence-Based Validation - [ ] Bug reproduced consistently with minimal test case - [ ] Stack traces analyzed with error tracking tools (Sentry, Rollbar) - [ ] Performance profiled with appropriate tools (Chrome DevTools, py-spy) - [ ] Fix verified with automated tests - [ ] Integration tests passing - [ ] No new errors in application logs - [ ] Memory/CPU usage within normal bounds Systematic debugging through proven methodologies and comprehensive error analysis. ## When to Use This Skill Use when code fails or produces unexpected results, investigating intermittent bugs, analyzing production errors, or debugging complex race conditions and edge cases. ## 5-Phase Debugging Protocol ### Phase 1: Reproduce Reliably - Create minimal test case that triggers the bug - Document exact sequence of inputs/conditions - Verify bug occurs consistently - Strip away unnecessary complexity ### Phase 2: Understand Root Cause - Trace execution path leading to failure - Examine variable values and state - Identify incorrect assumptions - Understand what code should do vs. what it does ### Phase 3: Design the Fix - Determine changes needed to eliminate bug - Consider impact on other functionality - Check for similar bugs elsewhere - Plan testing strategy ### Phase 4: Implement Using Best Practices - Write clear, readable code - Add comprehensive comments - Handle edge cases properly - Validate assumptions ### Phase 5: Verify the Fix - Confirm bug no longer occurs - Run regression tests - Test edge cases - Validate under original conditions ## 10 Debugging Methodologies 1. **Binary Search Debugging** - Divide and conquer to isolate bug location 2. **Rubber Duck Debugging** - Explain code to surface blind spots 3. **Hypothesis-Driven** - Form and test explicit hypotheses 4. **Differential Debugging** - Compare working vs. broken code 5. **Logg /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S4 SUCCESS CRITERIA */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] SUCCESS_CRITERIA := { primary: "Skill execution completes successfully", quality: "Output meets quality thresholds", verification: "Results validated against requirements" } [ground:given] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S5 MCP INTEGRATION */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] MCP_INTEGRATION := { memory_mcp: "Store execution results and patterns", tools: ["mcp__memory-mcp__memory_store", "mcp__memory-mcp__vector_search"] } [ground:witnessed:mcp-config] [conf:0.95] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S6 MEMORY NAMESPACE */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [define|neutral] MEMORY_NAMESPACE := { pattern: "skills/delivery/debugging/{project}/{timestamp}", store: ["executions", "decisions", "patterns"], retrieve: ["similar_tasks", "proven_patterns"] } [ground:system-policy] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] [define|neutral] MEMORY_TAGGING := { WHO: "debugging-{session_id}", WHEN: "ISO8601_timestamp", PROJECT: "{project_name}", WHY: "skill-execution" } [ground:system-policy] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S7 SKILL COMPLETION VERIFICATION */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [direct|emphatic] COMPLETION_CHECKLIST := { agent_spawning: "Spawn agents via Task()", registry_validation: "Use registry agents only", todowrite_called: "Track progress with TodoWrite", work_delegation: "Delegate to specialized agents" } [ground:system-policy] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* S8 ABSOLUTE RULES */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [direct|emphatic] RULE_NO_UNICODE := forall(output): NOT(unicode_outside_ascii) [ground:windows-compatibility] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] [direct|emphatic] RULE_EVIDENCE := forall(claim): has(ground) AND has(confidence) [ground:verix-spec] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] [direct|emphatic] RULE_REGISTRY := forall(agent): agent IN AGENT_REGISTRY [ground:system-policy] [conf:1.0] [state:confirmed] /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* PROMISE */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/ [commit|confident] DEBUGGING_VERILINGUA_VERIX_COMPLIANT [ground:self-validation] [conf:0.99] [state:confirmed]