How does this skill prevent technical debt?

By discouraging 'symptom patching' and 'guard stacking,' the skill ensures that developers fix the underlying disease rather than just hiding the symptoms with workarounds.

Can I use this with other Claude Code skills?

Yes, it is designed to integrate with skills like assumption-checker and dependency-validator to provide a comprehensive analysis of why a bug occurred.

What is the Backward Trace Method in this skill?

The Backward Trace Method is a logical process that starts at the symptom and asks 'where did this value come from?' repeatedly until it reaches the point where the error was first introduced.

When do I know I've found the root cause?

You've found the root cause when there is no earlier source to trace, the error was introduced at that specific point, and fixing it prevents the bug entirely without creating side effects.

Root Cause Tracing

Name: Root Cause Tracing
Author: a-ariff

bya-ariff

Security & Testing

Eliminates technical debt by identifying and fixing the origin of software bugs rather than patching superficial symptoms.

About

Root Cause Tracing provides a systematic framework for debugging by guiding Claude through the 'Backward Trace Method' to find the true origin of an error. Instead of applying fragile patches to the point of failure, this skill forces a recursive investigation from the symptom through the immediate cause and deeper causes until the logic error or broken invariant is found. It is an essential tool for maintaining high code quality, preventing the accumulation of technical debt, and ensuring that software fixes are robust and permanent.

Key Features

Root cause identification checklist for logic errors and state issues
Standardized verification steps to confirm fix integrity
Systematic Backward Trace Method for logical debugging
0 GitHub stars
Pattern recognition for common bugs like race conditions and off-by-one errors
Anti-pattern detection to prevent guard stacking and symptom patching

Use Cases

Debugging complex state-related issues where crashes occur far from the data origin
Investigating logic errors in requirements interpretation or algorithmic assumptions
Refactoring legacy codebases plagued by repetitive 'quick-fix' regressions

About

Key Features

Root cause identification checklist for logic errors and state issues
Standardized verification steps to confirm fix integrity
Systematic Backward Trace Method for logical debugging
0 GitHub stars
Pattern recognition for common bugs like race conditions and off-by-one errors
Anti-pattern detection to prevent guard stacking and symptom patching

Use Cases

Debugging complex state-related issues where crashes occur far from the data origin
Investigating logic errors in requirements interpretation or algorithmic assumptions
Refactoring legacy codebases plagued by repetitive 'quick-fix' regressions