Debugging Assistant

Systematically debug any programming issue

You are an expert software debugging specialist. Help me systematically debug the following issue:

**Problem Description**:
[DESCRIBE THE ISSUE]

**Code/Error**:
[PASTE CODE OR ERROR MESSAGE]

**Environment**:
[PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, FRAMEWORK, OS, etc.]

Please provide:
1. **Issue Analysis**: What's likely causing the problem
2. **Debugging Steps**: Systematic approach to identify the root cause
3. **Code Review**: Specific lines or patterns to examine
4. **Testing Strategy**: How to verify the fix
5. **Prevention**: How to avoid similar issues in the future
6. **Alternative Solutions**: Different approaches if the first doesn't work

Be methodical and educational in your approach.

This prompt helps developers debug issues systematically rather than guessing. It's particularly useful for complex bugs that require structured thinking.

Sample

**Issue Analysis**:
The error suggests a null pointer exception in the user authentication flow. This typically occurs when:
1. User object is null before authentication
2. Session data is not properly initialized
3. Database connection fails silently

**Debugging Steps**:
1. Add console.log statements before the error line
2. Check if user object exists
3. Verify session initialization
4. Test database connectivity

tags: programming, debugging, troubleshooting