Skills systematic-debugging
📦

systematic-debugging

Content revision r1 Safe ⚙️ External commands

Debug Code with Root Cause Analysis

Bugs waste time when teams patch symptoms without evidence. This skill guides Claude, Codex, and Claude Code through structured diagnosis before changes.

Supports: Claude Codex Code(CC)
🥉 79 Bronze

Install with my Agent

Copy this request to your Agent. It includes the canonical Skill page and manifest.

Agent request
Review the Skillstore skill "systematic-debugging" from https://skillstore.io/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging.md and its manifest at https://skillstore.io/api/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/manifest. Verify the artifact. You may proceed after verification, subject to the environment's own policy.

Your Agent should still show its plan and request any confirmation required by the security policy.

Agent-readable resources

Use these links when an AI agent, crawler, or script needs clean context instead of reading the full page.

Markdown detail GET /skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging.md Signed manifest GET /api/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/manifest Signed lockfile GET /api/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/lockfile

Test it

Using "systematic-debugging". A unit test fails after a refactor, but the changed function looks correct.

Expected outcome:

The assistant asks for the full error, compares the old and new call paths, traces the unexpected value, and proposes one testable hypothesis.

Using "systematic-debugging". A runtime error appears in production when a field is null.

Expected outcome:

The assistant follows the stack trace, identifies where the null value first enters the flow, and recommends validation at that source.

Using "systematic-debugging". Three fixes have failed and each exposes a different issue.

Expected outcome:

The assistant stops further patching, summarizes evidence, lists suspected design assumptions, and prepares points for team review.

Security Audit

Safe
v8 • 7/6/2026 Open versioned report

All static findings are false positives caused by Markdown code fences and general debugging prose in SKILL.md. I found no prompt injection, data exfiltration, network behavior, credential access, or malicious intent in the skill content. The skill documents a debugging workflow and does not contain executable scripts.

1
Files scanned
151
Lines analyzed
0
Review items
0
False positives ignored

Risk Factors

⚙️ External commands (9)
SKILL.md:27-33 SKILL.md:33-88 SKILL.md:88-94 SKILL.md:94-98 SKILL.md:98-104 SKILL.md:104-108 SKILL.md:108-113 SKILL.md:113-117 SKILL.md:117-123
No confirmed security findings were detected by the latest completed static and semantic audit. This does not prove the skill has no side effects.
Audited by: codex View Audit History →
Share & cite this report

Share the versioned assessment report, neutral badge, embed card, and citations. Skillstore reports evidence without deciding whether this Skill is safe.

Open versioned report
Security Assessment

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Academic citations (APA · BibTeX · CFF)

APA citation

ChrisWiles. (2026). systematic-debugging security audit report (audit version 8) [Author version unspecified]. Skillstore. https://skillstore.io/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/audits/8

BibTeX citation

@techreport{chriswiles-chriswiles-systematic-debugging-2026, author = {ChrisWiles}, title = {systematic-debugging security audit report (audit version 8)}, institution = {Skillstore}, year = {2026}, number = {8}, url = {https://skillstore.io/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/audits/8}, note = {Author version unspecified} }

CITATION.cff

cff-version: 1.2.0 message: "If you use this Skill, cite its author and this versioned security audit report." title: "systematic-debugging security audit report (audit version 8)" version: "unspecified" type: report authors: - name: "ChrisWiles" date-released: "2026-07-06" url: "https://skillstore.io/skills/chriswiles-systematic-debugging/audits/8" identifiers: - type: other value: "skillstore:chriswiles-systematic-debugging:audit:8" description: "Skillstore immutable audit report identifier"

Compare variants

12 installable variants

Each author remains a separate installable skill. The recommended variant is ranked by Skillstore evidence.

Why this variant is first

Highest Skillstore Score
Asmayaseen Recommended

asmayaseen-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 81
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 20
Updated

2026-08-21

ChrisWiles Current

chriswiles-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 79
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 11
Updated

2026-08-21

Doyajin174

doyajin174-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 79
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 9
Updated

2026-08-21

DMJGilbert

dmjgilbert-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 79
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 9
Updated

2026-08-21

CodingCossack

codingcossack-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 74
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 59
Updated

2026-08-21

ZhanlinCui

zhanlincui-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 71
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 90
Updated

2026-08-21

obra

obra-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 71
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 14
Updated

2026-08-21

Cycleaddict

cycleaddict-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 71
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 5
Updated

2026-08-21

davila7

davila7-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 70
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 5
Updated

2026-08-21

DYAI2025

dyai2025-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 70
Evidence Confidence Medium
Skillstore usage 45
Updated

2026-08-21

Cygnusfear

cygnusfear-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 50
Evidence Confidence High
Skillstore usage 5
Updated

2026-08-21

sickn33

sickn33-systematic-debugging

Skillstore Score 38
Evidence Confidence Medium
Skillstore usage 12
Updated

2026-08-21

Skillstore Score

Why this score Evidence Confidence: High
55
Architecture
85
Maintainability
87
Content
71
Community
91
Spec Compliance

What You Can Build

Investigate a Failing Test

Use the checklist to read the full failure, inspect setup, trace bad values, and create a focused fix.

Diagnose a Runtime Error

Follow the stack trace, identify invalid state, and add validation where the bad value originates.

Review Repeated Fix Attempts

Stop after multiple failed fixes, document findings, and decide whether the design needs team discussion.

Try These Prompts

Start a Bug Investigation 
Use the systematic-debugging skill to investigate this bug. First summarize the symptom, reproduction steps, and evidence needed before proposing any fix.
Trace a Test Failure 
Use the systematic-debugging process on this failing test. Read the assertion, inspect setup data, trace the unexpected value, and state the root cause.
Validate a Fix Hypothesis 
Apply the hypothesis and testing phase. Form one clear hypothesis, predict the result, choose the smallest test, and explain what each outcome means.
Escalate Repeated Failures 
Use systematic-debugging to review these failed fix attempts. Identify patterns, decide whether to stop patching, and prepare a concise team handoff.

Best Practices

  • Collect reproducible evidence before editing code.
  • Change one variable at a time when testing a hypothesis.
  • Document the root cause and verification steps with the final fix.

Avoid

  • Applying a quick patch before understanding why the bug occurs.
  • Trying several unrelated fixes without a stated hypothesis.
  • Ignoring repeated failures that suggest a deeper design problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill help with?
It helps AI assistants investigate bugs, test failures, runtime errors, and regressions using a structured root cause process.
Does it run debugging commands automatically?
No. The skill is documentation only. It may guide the assistant to request evidence or suggest normal project checks.
Can it fix code directly?
It can guide a fix after the root cause is identified, but it does not contain code patches or scripts.
When should I use it?
Use it when a bug is unclear, a test fails, a runtime error appears, or repeated fixes are not working.
How does it improve debugging quality?
It separates evidence gathering, pattern comparison, hypothesis testing, and implementation into clear steps.
Is it suitable for team workflows?
Yes. It encourages documentation, stop conditions, and team discussion when fixes reveal larger design issues.

Developer Details

Author

ChrisWiles

License

MIT

Skillstore revision

r1

Version notice

The author did not declare a version.

Repository

https://github.com/ChrisWiles/claude-code-showcase/tree/main/.claude/skills/systematic-debugging

Ref

dd4a3ef9f20ddf38830950b4bb713df96b431fd6

Maintenance freshness

7/20/2026

Usage

8 downloads · 276 views

File structure

📄 SKILL.md