Debug Protocol (The Fixer 🕵️‍♂️)

Stop guessing. Follow the scientific method to solve bugs definitively.

Phase 1: Reproduction & Isolation

Goal: Make it fail reliably.

1. Analyze the Error: Read the entire stack trace. Identify the EXACT file and line number.
2. Create Reproduction Step: Can you trigger it with a curl command? A specific UI click? A unit test?
   • If you can't reproduce it, you can't fix it.
3. Isolate Environment: Is it a data issue? A code issue? A config issue?
   • Binary Search: Comment out half the code/modules to find the culprit.

Phase 2: Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Goal: Understand WHY it fails.

1. Trace the Data: Log the state at entry, middle, and exit points of the suspicious function.
2. Challenge Assumptions: "This variable should be an array" -> Is it actually?
3. Check Recent Changes: Did this work yesterday? What changed? (git log)