debugging-tool-selection.md

Debugging Tool Selection

Use the simplest tool that can answer the question you are asking.

If You Need To See Control Flow

Use:

• Logs
• Traces
• Breakpoints
• Temporary instrumentation

If You Need To Compare States

Use:

• Diff tools
• Git history
• Structured log comparison
• Database snapshots

If You Need To Inspect Runtime State

Use:

• Debugger
• REPL
• Memory profiler
• Admin or diagnostic endpoints

If You Need To Observe External Calls

Use:

• Network inspector
• Proxy logs
• Trace spans
• Request/response capture

If You Need To Understand Performance

Use:

• Profiler
• Sampling tools
• Timing logs
• Load reproduction

If You Need To Prove a Fix

Use:

• Regression tests
• Reproduction tests
• Integration tests
• Targeted assertions

Selection Rule

Pick the tool that reduces uncertainty the fastest, not the tool that feels most sophisticated.