hongmaple0820 Systematic Debugging
Never fix without understanding the root cause.
Step 1: Reproduce
- Capture exact error message
- Note the inputs that trigger it
- Document the expected vs actual behavior
Step 2: Isolate
- Find the smallest reproducing case
- Check if issue is deterministic
- Identify affected components
Step 3: Hypothesize
- List 3 potential root causes
- Rank by probability
- Pick one to investigate
Step 4: Verify
- Add logging or breakpoints
- Run with minimal change
- Confirm or refute hypothesis
Step 5: Fix
- Implement targeted fix
- Add regression test
- Verify fix doesn't break elsewhere
Anti-Patterns
- Never try random changes
- Never silence exceptions
- Never assume environment issue without proof