debug▌
pproenca/dot-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Comprehensive debugging methodology guide for software engineers, containing 54 rules across 10 categories prioritized by impact. Based on research from Andreas Zeller's "Why Programs Fail" and academic debugging curricula.
dot-skills Debugging Best Practices
Comprehensive debugging methodology guide for software engineers, containing 54 rules across 10 categories prioritized by impact. Based on research from Andreas Zeller's "Why Programs Fail" and academic debugging curricula.
When to Apply
Reference these guidelines when:
- Investigating a bug or unexpected behavior
- Debugging code during development
- Code produces wrong results or crashes
- Performance issues need root cause analysis
- Triaging incoming bug reports and prioritizing fixes
- Conducting root cause analysis for incidents
- Reviewing debugging approaches or code for common bug patterns
Rule Categories by Priority
| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Problem Definition | CRITICAL | prob- |
| 2 | Hypothesis-Driven Search | CRITICAL | hypo- |
| 3 | Observation Techniques | HIGH | obs- |
| 4 | Root Cause Analysis | HIGH | rca- |
| 5 | Tool Mastery | MEDIUM-HIGH | tool- |
| 6 | Bug Triage and Classification | MEDIUM | triage- |
| 7 | Common Bug Patterns | MEDIUM | pattern- |
| 8 | Fix Verification | MEDIUM | verify- |
| 9 | Anti-Patterns | MEDIUM | anti- |
| 10 | Prevention & Learning | LOW-MEDIUM | prev- |
Quick Reference
1. Problem Definition (CRITICAL)
prob-reproduce-before-debug- Reproduce the bug before investigatingprob-minimal-reproduction- Create minimal reproduction casesprob-document-symptoms- Document symptoms preciselyprob-separate-symptoms-causes- Separate symptoms from causesprob-state-expected-actual- State expected vs actual behaviorprob-recent-changes- Check recent changes first
2. Hypothesis-Driven Search (CRITICAL)
hypo-scientific-method- Apply the scientific methodhypo-binary-search- Use binary search to localize bugshypo-one-change-at-time- Test one hypothesis at a timehypo-where-not-what- Find WHERE before asking WHAThypo-rule-out-obvious- Rule out obvious causes firsthypo-rubber-duck- Explain the problem aloud
3. Observation Techniques (HIGH)
obs-strategic-logging- Use strategic loggingobs-log-inputs-outputs- Log function inputs and outputsobs-breakpoint-strategy- Use breakpoints strategicallyobs-stack-trace-reading- Read stack traces bottom to topobs-watch-expressions- Use watch expressions for stateobs-trace-data-flow- Trace data flow through system
4. Root Cause Analysis (HIGH)
rca-five-whys- Use the 5 Whys techniquerca-fault-propagation- Trace fault propagation chainsrca-last-known-good- Find the last known good staterca-question-assumptions- Question your assumptionsrca-examine-boundaries- Examine system boundaries
5. Tool Mastery (MEDIUM-HIGH)
tool-conditional-breakpoints- Use conditional breakpointstool-logpoints- Use logpoints instead of modifying codetool-step-commands- Master step over/into/outtool-call-stack-navigation- Navigate the call stacktool-memory-inspection- Inspect memory and object statetool-exception-breakpoints- Use exception breakpoints
6. Bug Triage and Classification (MEDIUM)
triage-severity-vs-priority- Separate severity from prioritytriage-user-impact-assessment- Assess user impact before prioritizingtriage-reproducibility-matters- Factor reproducibility into triagetriage-quick-wins-first- Identify and ship quick wins firsttriage-duplicate-detection- Detect and link duplicate bug reports
7. Common Bug Patterns (MEDIUM)
pattern-null-pointer- Recognize null pointer patternspattern-off-by-one- Spot off-by-one errorspattern-race-condition- Identify race condition symptomspattern-memory-leak- Detect memory leak patternspattern-type-coercion- Watch for type coercion bugspattern-async-await-errors- Catch async/await error handling mistakespattern-timezone-issues- Recognize timezone and date bugs
8. Fix Verification (MEDIUM)
verify-reproduce-fix- Verify with original reproductionverify-regression-check- Check for regressionsverify-understand-why-fix-works- Understand why fix worksverify-add-test- Add test to prevent recurrence
9. Anti-Patterns (MEDIUM)
anti-shotgun-debugging- Avoid shotgun debugginganti-quick-patch- Avoid quick patches without understandinganti-tunnel-vision- Avoid tunnel vision on initial hypothesisanti-debug-fatigue- Recognize debugging fatigueanti-blame-tool- Don't blame the tool too quickly
10. Prevention & Learning (LOW-MEDIUM)
prev-document-solution- Document bug solutionsprev-postmortem- Conduct blameless postmortemsprev-defensive-coding- Add defensive code at boundariesprev-improve-error-messages- Improve error messages
How to Use
Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:
- Section definitions - Category structure and impact levels
- Rule template - Template for adding new rules
- Example rules: prob-reproduce-before-debug, hypo-binary-search
Full Compiled Document
For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md
How to use debug on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add debug
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches debug from GitHub repository pproenca/dot-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate debug. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /debug) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.6★★★★★55 reviews- ★★★★★Chen Johnson· Dec 24, 2024
I recommend debug for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Olivia Reddy· Dec 20, 2024
debug is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Liam Johnson· Dec 16, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: debug is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Dec 12, 2024
debug reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Chen Brown· Dec 12, 2024
debug has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Fatima Gupta· Dec 4, 2024
Keeps context tight: debug is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Nov 27, 2024
debug is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Chen Mehta· Nov 27, 2024
Keeps context tight: debug is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Chen Malhotra· Nov 15, 2024
debug reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Liam Garcia· Nov 7, 2024
We added debug from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
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