Claude
Cursor
Skill
structured-debug
AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose
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Download
codeaholicguy-ai-devkit-skills_structured-debug-ac73d58.zip · 1 KB
Install
skills CLI
npx skills add https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/structured-debug
Claude Code
claude plugin marketplace add https://llmmart.ai/marketplace.json && claude plugin install codeaholicguy-ai-devkit@llmmart
Git
git clone https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit.git
The skills CLI installs just this skill, for any of its supported agents. Claude Code installs the whole codeaholicguy/ai-devkit collection as a plugin from our marketplace. Git is the plain clone.
Skill manifest
Local Debugging Assistant
Debug with an evidence-first workflow before changing code.
Hard Rule
- Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan.
Workflow
- Clarify
- Restate observed vs expected behavior in one concise diff.
- Confirm scope and measurable success criteria.
- Before investigating, search for similar past incidents:
npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags "debug,root-cause"
- Reproduce
- Capture minimal reproduction steps.
- Capture environment fingerprint: runtime, versions, config flags, data sample, and platform.
- Hypothesize and Test For each hypothesis, include:
- Predicted evidence if true.
- Disconfirming evidence if false.
- Exact test command or check.
- Prefer one-variable-at-a-time tests.
- Plan
- Present fix options with risks and verification steps.
- Recommend one option and request approval.
Validation
- Confirm a pre-fix failing signal exists.
- Confirm post-fix success using the
verifyskill — including regression verification for bug fixes. - Summarize remaining risks and follow-ups.
- Store root cause and fix for future sessions:
npx ai-devkit@latest memory store --title "<root cause>" --content "<diagnosis and fix>" --tags "debug,root-cause"
Task Tracing
If task tracing is usable, choose a short kebab-case debug task name when no
task name exists, then use task optionally: record repro/final results as
evidence, the current hypothesis as next, and blockers only when they
materially affect progress. Never block debugging because task tracing is
unavailable.
Red Flags and Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| "I already know the cause" | Assumptions skip evidence | Reproduce and prove it first |
| "This is urgent, just fix it" | A wrong fix wastes more time | 10 minutes of diagnosis saves hours |
| "The fix is obvious from the stack trace" | Stack traces show symptoms, not causes | Trace backward to the root cause |
Output Template
Use this response structure:
- Observed vs Expected
- Repro and Environment
- Hypotheses and Tests
- Options and Recommendation
- Validation Plan and Results
- Open Questions
Files (ai-devkit)
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agents
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openai.yaml 322 B
interface: display_name: "Structured Debug Assistant" short_description: "AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes" default_prompt: "Use $structured-debug to investigate this issue step by step, produce fix options with risks and validation steps, and wait for confirmation before changing code."
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SKILL.md 2.6 KB
--- name: structured-debug description: AI DevKit · Guide structured debugging before code changes by clarifying expected behavior, reproducing issues, identifying likely root causes, and agreeing on a fix plan with validation steps. Use when users ask to debug bugs, investigate regressions, triage incidents, diagnose failing behavior, handle failing tests, analyze production incidents, investigate error spikes, or run root cause analysis (RCA). --- # Local Debugging Assistant Debug with an evidence-first workflow before changing code. ## Hard Rule - Do not modify code until the user approves a selected fix plan. ## Workflow 1. Clarify - Restate observed vs expected behavior in one concise diff. - Confirm scope and measurable success criteria. - Before investigating, search for similar past incidents: `npx ai-devkit@latest memory search --query "<observed behavior>" --tags "debug,root-cause"` 2. Reproduce - Capture minimal reproduction steps. - Capture environment fingerprint: runtime, versions, config flags, data sample, and platform. 3. Hypothesize and Test For each hypothesis, include: - Predicted evidence if true. - Disconfirming evidence if false. - Exact test command or check. - Prefer one-variable-at-a-time tests. 4. Plan - Present fix options with risks and verification steps. - Recommend one option and request approval. ## Validation - Confirm a pre-fix failing signal exists. - Confirm post-fix success using the `verify` skill — including regression verification for bug fixes. - Summarize remaining risks and follow-ups. - Store root cause and fix for future sessions: `npx ai-devkit@latest memory store --title "<root cause>" --content "<diagnosis and fix>" --tags "debug,root-cause"` ## Task Tracing If task tracing is usable, choose a short kebab-case debug task name when no task name exists, then use `task` optionally: record repro/final results as `evidence`, the current hypothesis as `next`, and blockers only when they materially affect progress. Never block debugging because task tracing is unavailable. ## Red Flags and Rationalizations | Rationalization | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead | |---|---|---| | "I already know the cause" | Assumptions skip evidence | Reproduce and prove it first | | "This is urgent, just fix it" | A wrong fix wastes more time | 10 minutes of diagnosis saves hours | | "The fix is obvious from the stack trace" | Stack traces show symptoms, not causes | Trace backward to the root cause | ## Output Template Use this response structure: - Observed vs Expected - Repro and Environment - Hypotheses and Tests - Options and Recommendation - Validation Plan and Results - Open Questions
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