narrow-patch-authoring

To create a minimal git commit, you must restrict code changes exclusively to the root cause identified during forensic debugging. This patch authoring approach eliminates unnecessary refactoring, preserving system invariants and reducing regression risk in production maintenance workflows.

Forensic debugging is the process of tracing system failures using concrete evidence like logs and state paths. It supports evidence-backed patch authoring by pinpointing exact root causes, allowing developers to generate minimal code changes that fix bugs without altering unrelated system behavior.

Writing an evidence-backed git commit message requires citing concrete forensic evidence, such as specific logs, code paths, or system states. This practice ensures full traceability for the minimal patch and accelerates code review cycles by proving the root cause was exclusively addressed.

Yes, minimal patch authoring is designed for critical systems like trading platforms where preserving existing invariants and minimizing change risk are mandatory. It enforces invariant preservation checks to ensure position entry, exit, and dashboard metrics remain completely intact after bug resolution.

Production bug fixes introduce regressions when developers add unnecessary modifications or address symptoms instead of root causes. By enforcing strict adherence to minimal change principles and invariant preservation validation, you can eliminate unrelated modifications and significantly reduce regression risk.

You should not use minimal code changes when a bug requires broader architectural refactoring or when addressing technical debt. This approach mandates that patches exclusively address the identified root cause, meaning any necessary cleanup or unrelated variable renaming must be handled in separate commits.