Systematic Debugging

Use this skill to stop guessing, gather evidence, and narrow the actual cause before attempting a fix.

1. Core Defaults

• Reproduce the problem before changing code.
• Read the exact error, output, or observed behavior first.
• Change one variable at a time.
• Compare the broken path with a nearby working path when possible.
• Prefer the smallest probe that can confirm or kill one hypothesis.
• Stop after repeated failed fix attempts and re-check the mental model.

2. Investigation Loop