debugging-strategies

# Debugging Strategies Transform debugging from frustrating guesswork into systematic problem-solving with proven strategies, powerful tools, and methodical approaches. ## When to Use This Skill - Tracking down elusive bugs - Investigating performance issues - Understanding unfamiliar codebases - Debugging production issues - Analyzing crash dumps and stack traces - Profiling application performance - Investigating memory leaks - Debugging distributed systems ## Core Principles ### 1. The Scientific Method **1. Observe**: What's the actual behavior? **2. Hypothesize**: What could be causing it? **3. Experiment**: Test your hypothesis **4. Analyze**: Did it prove/disprove your theory? **5. Repeat**: Until you find the root cause ### 2. Debugging Mindset **Don't Assume:** - "It can't be X" - Yes it can - "I didn't change Y" - Check anyway - "It works on my machine" - Find out why **Do:** - Reproduce consistently - Isolate the problem - Keep detailed notes - Question everything - Take breaks when stuck ### 3. Rubber Duck Debugging Explain your code and problem out loud (to a rubber duck, colleague, or yourself). Often reveals the issue. ## Systematic Debugging Process ### Phase 1: Reproduce ```markdown ## Reproduction Checklist 1. **Can you reproduce it?** - Always? Sometimes? Randomly? - Specific conditions needed? - Can others reproduce it? 2. **Create minimal reproduction** - Simplify to smallest example - Remove unrelated code - Isolate th...