bug-fix-protocol

# Bug Fix Protocol ## Purpose Turn a bug report into a merged fix without introducing a second bug. The protocol is deliberately rigid: it exists to prevent the two most common failures — fixing the symptom, and fixing the cause without proving it. ## When to Use - Any reported defect with a reproducible symptom. - A regression discovered in CI or production. - A hotfix under time pressure — especially then. ## Capabilities - Reproduction and minimization. - Root-cause isolation (see the `debugging` skill for the search method). - Minimal, targeted fixes with regression tests. - Blast-radius assessment for the same class of defect elsewhere. ## Inputs - The bug report: expected behavior, observed behavior, environment, steps. - Access to logs, traces, or a failing build. - The severity and whether a rollback is available. ## Outputs - A failing test that captures the bug. - The smallest change that makes it pass. - A note on where else this defect class could occur. ## Workflow 1. **Reproduce before reading code.** If you cannot reproduce it, the report is incomplete — go back for the missing detail. Do not guess. 2. **Write the failing test.** In the real test suite, at the right level. It must fail for the right reason, with a clear message. 3. **Find the cause.** Not the line where it crashed — the decision that made the crash possible. 4. **Fix minimally.** Change only what is required. Refactoring belongs in a separate commit. 5. **Verify.** New test passes; ...