Debugging Code

Features

• Set breakpoints (conditional, exception-based)
• Step through code execution (line by line, into, out, over)
• Inspect live variable state and call stack
• Evaluate arbitrary expressions against running program
• Attach to running processes or remote debuggers

Use Cases

• Use when a program crashes or raises unexpected exceptions.
• Use when output is incorrect and print-statement debugging is insufficient.
• Use to understand how execution reached a specific state in complex code.
• Use to trace root causes by stepping through execution and inspecting variables.

Non-Goals

• Automated code fixing or patching.
• Static code analysis or linting.
• Deployment or testing of applications.

Workflow

1. User identifies a bug or needs to understand execution flow.
2. User invokes the skill with `dap debug <file>` and optionally specifies breakpoints.
3. Skill launches the program under the debugger via the `dap` CLI.
4. Program execution pauses at breakpoints or on entry.
5. User interacts with the debugger using commands like `step`, `eval`, `inspect` to explore state.
6. User continues execution or attaches to a running process.
7. User verifies fixes by re-running or restarting the debugged program.
8. Session is terminated via `dap stop` or automatically.

Practices

• Debugging Workflow
• Interactive Execution
• State Inspection

Prerequisites

• The `dap` CLI tool must be installed.
• A compatible debugger backend for the target language must be installed.
• The target program must be launchable or attachable by the debugger.