investigate

Systematic debugging enforces a structured four-phase workflow: investigate, analyze, hypothesize, and implement. This root cause analysis prevents superficial fixes by ensuring you identify the actual source of errors before modifying code.

Root cause analysis integrates local filesystem logs, git history, and project-specific configuration files to identify error sources. By operating within repository history and recent project learnings, the investigation maintains safety boundaries and cross-project context to accurately resolve issues.

To prevent superficial fixes during troubleshooting, mandate a hypothesis-driven implementation workflow. By enforcing a structured investigation and analysis phase before allowing code modifications, you ensure the root cause is identified rather than just masking the symptoms.

Yes, systematic debugging works with project-specific configuration files by automatically checking debug scope boundaries and project freeze states. This integration maintains safety guardrails and ensures code modifications only occur within approved project parameters.

You should not use ad-hoc debugging when you need to prevent recurring bugs or ensure safety boundaries. Ad-hoc methods lack the structured four-phase investigation needed to identify root causes, often leading to superficial fixes and missed cross-project patterns.