git:20260507.8dfdcb4 to git:20260507.9f5be95

---

name: systematic-debugging

description: Structured debugging methodology using hypothesis-driven investigation, log analysis, and bisection to isolate and resolve defects.

allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, WebSearch, Agent, AskUserQuestion

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]

- Unexpected behavior discovered during testing

- Bug reports require investigation

- Performance issues need root cause analysis

## Process

1. **Reproduce** - Confirm the defect with a minimal reproduction

2. **Hypothesize** - Form theories about the root cause

3. **Investigate** - Systematically test hypotheses (logs, breakpoints, bisection)

4. **Isolate** - Narrow to the specific component/line

5. **Fix** - Apply targeted fix addressing root cause

6. **Verify** - Confirm fix resolves the issue without regression

## Key Rules

- Never apply fixes without understanding the root cause

- Use web-researcher agent for unfamiliar error patterns

- Document the investigation path for future reference

- Verify that the fix does not introduce regressions

## Tool Use

Integrated into `methodologies/rpikit/rpikit-implement` (failure handling)