name: debugging_methodology
router_kit: FullStackKit
description: Systematic debugging cycle - reproduce, isolate, hypothesize, fix.
metadata:
skillport:
category: quality
tags: [architecture, automation, best practices, clean code, coding, collaboration, compliance, debugging, debugging methodology, design patterns, development, documentation, efficiency, git, optimization, productivity, programming, project management, quality assurance, refactoring, software engineering, standards, testing, utilities, version control, workflow] - debugging-tools

🔍 Debugging Methodology

Systematic debugging cycle.

🔄 Debugging Cycle

REPRODUCE → UNDERSTAND → ISOLATE → HYPOTHESIZE → TEST → FIX → REFLECT

1️⃣ Reproduce

### Reproduction Report
- Error: [Description]
- Steps: 1. ... 2. ... 3. → Error
- Environment: [OS, Node, Browser]
- Reproducibility: [100% / 50% / Rarely]

2️⃣ 5 Whys

Problem: Login not working
1. Why? → API returns 401
2. Why? → Token invalid
3. Why? → Token expired
4. Why? → Refresh not working
5. Why? → Endpoint changed

3️⃣ Binary Search (git bisect)

git bisect start
git bisect bad HEAD
git bisect good v1.0.0
git bisect run npm test

4️⃣ Hypothesis List

Debugging Methodology v1.1 - Enhanced

🔄 Workflow

🔄 Workflow

Source: Scientific Method in Debugging

Phase 1: Incident Response (Triage)

• [ ] Log: Record error message and call stack.
• [ ] Reproduce: Reproduce error at least once locally or in test environment.
• [ ] Environment: Check version differences (Prod vs Dev).

Phase 2: Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

• [ ] Bisection: Find the commit where the issue started (git bisect).
• [ ] Isolation: Isolate the error by breaking down the system (Write Unit Test).
• [ ] Hypothesis: List most probable causes and eliminate with Binary Search.

Phase 3: Resolution & Prevention

• [ ] Fix: Write code that solves the problem with minimal intervention.
• [ ] Verify: Test both the fix and regression (side effects).
• [ ] Post-Mortem: Answer "Why did it happen?" and "How to prevent it?".

Checkpoints