fix-bug

Hypothesis-driven debugging generates and tests multiple root-cause hypotheses before making changes, ensuring you fix the actual bug rather than symptoms. It provides a structured triage process to collect environment details and reproduction steps for accurate diagnosis.

Diagnose a bug by collecting reported symptoms, environment details, and reproduction steps into a structured triage. Generate root-cause hypotheses, investigate top candidates in the codebase, and implement the minimal verifiable fix to resolve the issue.

Yes, this debugging approach applies to codebases across languages and dependencies. It guides the workflow from triage to minimal fix using symptom collection and hypothesis generation, accommodating diverse software systems without language-specific constraints.

The best way to fix a bug without regressions is applying minimal-fix discipline: implement the smallest change that resolves the issue, then validate with tests. Post-fix verification and logging guardrails ensure the fix prevents future regressions.

Yes, online research is triggered during the debugging workflow when needed. After symptom collection and hypothesis generation, the process incorporates online research before focused code investigation to help identify root causes in unfamiliar dependencies.

You should avoid a structured debugging process for trivial syntax errors requiring immediate fixes. The hypothesis-driven approach adds overhead through triage, hypothesis generation, and post-fix verification, making it best suited for complex bugs with unclear root causes.