debug-helper

Systematic debugging strategies, troubleshooting methodologies, and problem-solving techniques for code and system issues. Use when the user encounters bugs, errors, or unexpected behavior and needs help diagnosing and resolving problems.

Quality

69%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

—

No eval scenarios have been run

Securityby

Passed

No known issues

Fix and improve this skill with Tessl

tessl review fix ./claude/skills/debug-helper/SKILL.md

Quality

Content

57%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

This skill provides solid, actionable debugging guidance with good executable examples across multiple languages and tools. However, it's overly verbose for a skill file, includes concepts Claude already knows (debugging mindset, rubber duck debugging), and would benefit from being split into focused sub-files with clear navigation rather than presenting everything inline.

Suggestions

Split content into separate files (e.g., PYTHON_DEBUGGING.md, SHELL_DEBUGGING.md, PERFORMANCE.md) and make SKILL.md a concise overview with clear links

Remove sections explaining concepts Claude already knows well (debugging mindset, rubber duck debugging explanation, basic 'stay calm' advice)

Add explicit validation checkpoints to the methodology, e.g., 'After step 4, verify the hypothesis was actually tested by checking [specific output]'

Remove the 'You are a debugging expert' framing - this belongs in system prompts, not skill content

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The content is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary framing ('You are a debugging expert') and concepts Claude already knows well (rubber duck debugging explanation, basic debugging mindset). Could be tightened by removing obvious advice.	2 / 3
Actionability	Provides concrete, executable code examples across multiple languages (Python pdb, Node.js debugger, GDB, bash commands). Commands are copy-paste ready with specific syntax for common debugging scenarios.	3 / 3
Workflow Clarity	The 5-step methodology is clearly sequenced, but lacks explicit validation checkpoints or feedback loops. Steps like 'Verify and Document' are listed but don't specify how to verify fixes worked or what to do if verification fails.	2 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	Monolithic wall of text with no references to external files. All content is inline despite being comprehensive enough to warrant splitting into separate files (e.g., language-specific debugging guides, shell debugging reference).	1 / 3
	Total	8 / 12 Passed

Description

82%

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

This is a solid description with explicit trigger guidance and good natural language keywords that users would actually say. The main weakness is the abstract language around capabilities ('strategies', 'methodologies', 'techniques') rather than concrete actions, and the broad scope could cause conflicts with more specialized debugging or coding skills.

Suggestions

Replace abstract terms like 'strategies' and 'methodologies' with concrete actions such as 'analyze stack traces, set breakpoints, isolate failing components, review error logs'

Add more specific scope boundaries to reduce conflict risk, e.g., 'for general debugging across languages' or specify if it's for runtime errors vs build errors vs logic bugs

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names the domain (debugging, troubleshooting) and mentions some actions (diagnosing, resolving problems), but uses abstract terms like 'strategies', 'methodologies', and 'techniques' rather than listing concrete specific actions like 'set breakpoints', 'analyze stack traces', or 'isolate failing components'.	2 / 3
Completeness	Clearly answers both what (systematic debugging strategies, troubleshooting methodologies, problem-solving techniques) AND when (explicit 'Use when...' clause specifying bugs, errors, unexpected behavior, diagnosing and resolving problems).	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Includes good natural keywords users would say: 'bugs', 'errors', 'unexpected behavior', 'debugging', 'troubleshooting', 'problem-solving', 'diagnosing', 'resolving problems'. These cover common variations of how users describe needing debugging help.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	While debugging is a specific domain, the broad scope of 'code and system issues' could overlap with language-specific skills, testing skills, or general coding assistance skills. The triggers 'errors' and 'unexpected behavior' are common enough to potentially conflict with other skills.	2 / 3
	Total	10 / 12 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 11 / 11 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository: einverne/dotfiles
Commit: b1b2fe0

Reviewed: 5 months ago

Table of Contents

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