git:20260507.8dfdcb4 to git:20260507.9f5be95

---

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)