debugging
Systematically debug code issues using proven methodologies. Use when encountering errors, unexpected behavior, or performance problems. Handles error analysis, root cause identification, debugging strategies, and fix verification.
82
79%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
78%
1.09xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./.agent-skills/debugging/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
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 that clearly communicates both purpose and trigger conditions. The explicit 'Use when...' clause with natural trigger terms is a strength. However, the capability descriptions lean toward abstract categories rather than concrete actions, and there's moderate overlap risk with general coding or testing skills.
Suggestions
Replace abstract categories with concrete actions (e.g., 'analyze stack traces, set breakpoints, trace variable state, isolate failing components' instead of 'debugging strategies')
Add distinguishing terms to reduce conflict with general coding skills (e.g., 'systematic troubleshooting', 'step-through debugging', 'reproduce and isolate bugs')
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (debugging) and lists some actions ('error analysis, root cause identification, debugging strategies, fix verification'), but these are somewhat abstract categories rather than concrete specific actions like 'set breakpoints' or 'analyze stack traces'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Systematically debug code issues using proven methodologies... error analysis, root cause identification, debugging strategies, fix verification') and when ('Use when encountering errors, unexpected behavior, or performance problems'). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes natural keywords users would say: 'errors', 'unexpected behavior', 'performance problems', 'debug', 'fix'. These are common terms developers use when seeking debugging help. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | While debugging is a specific domain, terms like 'errors' and 'unexpected behavior' could overlap with general coding assistance or testing skills. The description doesn't strongly differentiate from related code quality skills. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
77%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a solid debugging skill with excellent actionability through concrete code examples and a clear multi-step workflow with proper validation checkpoints. The main weakness is moderate verbosity - the 'When to use this skill' section and some explanatory text could be trimmed since Claude understands debugging contexts. The content would benefit from splitting reference material (tools table, external links) into separate files.
Suggestions
Remove or significantly trim the 'When to use this skill' section - Claude understands when debugging is needed
Move the 'Debugging Tools' table and 'References' section to a separate TOOLS.md or REFERENCE.md file to reduce main file length
Tighten explanatory prose throughout - phrases like 'Collect all relevant context about the issue' can be removed as the bullet points are self-explanatory
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary content like the 'When to use this skill' section listing obvious scenarios Claude would recognize, and some explanatory text that could be trimmed. The tables and examples are useful but the overall document could be tightened. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides fully executable code examples across multiple languages, specific bash commands for checking changes, concrete debugging patterns with before/after fixes, and copy-paste ready test examples. The guidance is specific and immediately usable. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | Clear 6-step sequential process with explicit validation (Step 6: Verify and Prevent), includes a fix checklist with checkboxes, and demonstrates feedback loops through the reproduce-isolate-fix-verify cycle. The workflow handles the iterative nature of debugging well. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The document is well-structured with clear sections and headers, but it's somewhat monolithic at ~180 lines. The debugging tools table and references at the end could be separate files. However, the content is organized logically and navigable within the single file. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 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 |
|---|---|---|
metadata_version | 'metadata.version' is missing | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
- Repository
- supercent-io/skills-template
- Commit
c033769
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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