/debugging-patterns

name: debugging-patterns
description: Root cause analysis frameworks including log-first investigation, git bisect correlation, and pattern-based diagnosis with confidence scoring.
allowed-tools: Read, Bash, Grep, Glob, WebSearch
graph:
  domains: [domain:software-engineering]
  skillAreas: [skill-area:agentic-loops, skill-area:orchestration-loop]
  workflows: [workflow:feature-development]
  topics: [topic:developer-experience]
  roles: [role:tech-lead, role:backend-engineer]
2. DO NOT form hypotheses before reading evidence
3. Identify the exact error: message, file, line, call stack
4. Determine reproduction steps from evidence
5. Check git log for recent changes correlating with bug introduction

Pattern-Based Diagnosis

• Check patterns.md for known gotchas matching the error
• Cross-reference with common patterns: null pointer, race condition, resource leak, config error
• Rate root cause confidence (>=80% to proceed with fix)

Evidence Collection

• Stack traces with full call chain
• Error messages with context
• Exit codes from reproduction attempts
• Git blame/log for change correlation
• Environment differences (if applicable)

When to Use

• During DEBUG workflow investigation phase
• When BUILD tests fail unexpectedly
• When reviewing error handling gaps

Agents Used

• `bug-investigator` (primary consumer)
• `silent-failure-hunter` (pattern reference)