systematic-debugging
Four-phase debugging framework that ensures root cause investigation before attempting fixes. Never jump to solutions. Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes.
89
87%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
91%
1.15xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Quality
Discovery
89%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 well-structured skill description with strong completeness and trigger terms. The explicit 'Use when...' clause with natural debugging terminology makes it easy for Claude to select appropriately. The main weakness is that the 'four-phase framework' is mentioned but not elaborated, leaving the specific capabilities somewhat vague.
Suggestions
Briefly enumerate what the four phases are (e.g., 'reproduce, isolate, diagnose, verify') to increase specificity of capabilities
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (debugging) and describes a 'four-phase framework' approach, but doesn't list the specific concrete actions or what those four phases actually are. 'Root cause investigation before attempting fixes' is somewhat specific but not comprehensive. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Four-phase debugging framework that ensures root cause investigation before attempting fixes') and when ('Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes'). Has explicit 'Use when...' clause. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes natural keywords users would say: 'bug', 'test failure', 'unexpected behavior', and 'fixes'. These are common terms developers use when encountering issues. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Clear niche focused specifically on debugging methodology with a distinct approach (root cause first, never jump to solutions). The emphasis on investigation before fixes distinguishes it from general coding or quick-fix skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
85%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a strong debugging skill with excellent workflow clarity and actionability. The four-phase structure with explicit gates and the 3+ failures escalation pattern are particularly valuable. Minor verbosity in the rationalizations and red flags sections prevents a perfect conciseness score, but the content earns its place overall.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is reasonably efficient but includes some redundancy (multiple tables restating similar points, repeated warnings about stopping). The rationalizations table and red flags section overlap significantly. Some sections like 'When to Use' could be tightened. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides concrete, executable guidance with specific bash examples for diagnostic instrumentation, test commands (bun test, npm test), and clear step-by-step processes. The multi-layer system example is copy-paste ready and demonstrates exactly what to do. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | Excellent four-phase workflow with explicit gates ('MUST complete each phase before proceeding'), clear validation checkpoints ('If fix doesn't work → STOP'), and feedback loops (return to Phase 1, question architecture after 3+ failures). The escalation path at 3+ failed fixes is particularly well-designed. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Well-structured with clear overview, phases as logical sections, quick reference table for scanning, and appropriate references to related skills (root-cause-tracing, defense-in-depth-validation, verification-before-completion). Content is appropriately organized without being monolithic. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
- Repository
- secondsky/claude-skills
- Commit
90d6bd7
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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