Debugging & Developer Tooling

The scientific method for broken code

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A disciplined, step-by-step method for finding and fixing bugs — covering the debugging loop, stack traces, git bisect, interactive debuggers, log levels, common bug classes, and the four-tool static/dynamic toolbox.

By the end, you can

Apply the six-step debugging loop to a real failing case.
Read a stack trace and identify the deepest frame in your own code.
Explain what git bisect does and calculate how many tests it needs for n commits.
Set a breakpoint, step through execution, and use a watch panel to catch a bug in the act.
Order the five standard log levels from chattiest to most severe and explain when each applies.
Identify the three pillars of observability.
Recognize off-by-one, null/undefined, and race-condition bugs by their symptoms and name the best tool for each.
Distinguish static tools (linter, static analyzer) from dynamic tools (sanitizer, profiler) and match each to the class of bug it finds.

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