Debugging Protocol

Value: Feedback -- systematic investigation produces understanding. Understanding produces correct fixes. Correct fixes prevent recurrence. Skipping investigation produces symptom fixes that hide bugs.

Purpose

Teaches a disciplined 4-phase debugging process that enforces root cause analysis before any fix attempt. Prevents the most common debugging failure mode: jumping to a fix without understanding why the problem exists.

Practices

The Iron Law: No Fixes Without Investigation

Never change code to fix a bug until you have completed root cause investigation. When you see an error and immediately know the fix, that is exactly when you are most likely to be wrong. Investigate first.