Debugging Methodology

When you hit a bug or unexpected behavior, follow this process. Don't guess — be systematic.

Step 1: List Your Assumptions

Write down everything you believe is true about the system. Making implicit assumptions explicit often reveals the bug immediately.

Common false assumptions:

• "This value is never nil"
• "This callback always runs"
• "These records are always in this order"
• "This association is always present"
• "Time only moves forwards"

Write them down. Then validate them.

Step 2: Build a Decision Table