Debug Loop
Autonomous hypothesis-driven debugging against real data. No guessing, no simulating.
Arguments
— Description of the bug or unexpected behavior. If omitted, prompt the user.
Phases
Phase 1 — Reproduce
Run the exact command that shows the bug. Capture and display the REAL output. Confirm the bug is visible.
If the bug cannot be reproduced, stop and explain what was tried.
Phase 2 — Hypothesize and Test (up to 5 iterations)
For each iteration:
State a specific hypothesis (e.g., "the query targets v2 tables but data is in v3 tables")
Run a REAL command to test it (e.g.,
sqlite3 [db path] '.tables'
then
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM [table]
)
Record whether the hypothesis was confirmed or rejected
If rejected, form the next hypothesis based on what you learned
Do NOT make code changes until you have a confirmed root cause.
Important checks:
Always check both v2 and v3 SQLite tables when data issues are suspected
Check dependency versions (e.g., sqlite3 vs better-sqlite3)
Check for hardcoded values that may have been missed
Phase 3 — Fix
Make the minimal targeted fix. Explain:
What the root cause was
What you're changing and why
What the blast radius is (which other code paths are affected)
Before applying, grep for ALL instances of the problematic pattern across the entire codebase.
Phase 4 — Verify
Run the SAME reproduction command from Phase 1. The output must now show correct values. If it doesn't, go back to Phase 2.
Show before/after output comparison.
Phase 5 — Regression
npm
test
Run the full test suite. If tests fail, fix them before committing.
Rules
NEVER guess or simulate output — always run real commands
NEVER make code changes before confirming root cause
Always check for the pattern across the entire codebase, not just one file
If blocked after 5 hypotheses, stop and ask the user for guidance