laravel:debugging-prompts

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SKILL.md (first lines)

# Debugging Prompts

Debugging with AI requires complete information. Missing context means generic suggestions that don't solve your specific problem.

## Error Messages and Stack Traces

### Incomplete
"Getting an error in the payment controller"

### Complete
"Getting error when processing payment:

**Error:**
```
Illuminate\Database\QueryException: SQLSTATE[23000]: 
Integrity constraint violation: 1452 Cannot add or update a child row: 
a foreign key constraint fails (`app`.`payments`, CONSTRAINT `payments_order_id_foreign` 
FOREIGN KEY (`order_id`) REFERENCES `orders` (`id`) ON DELETE CASCADE)
```

**Stack trace:**
```
#0 app/Services/PaymentService.php(45): Payment::create()
#1 app/Http/Controllers/PaymentController.php(28): PaymentService->process()
#2 vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Routing/Controller.php(54)
```

**Context:**
- Laravel 13.x, MySQL 8.0
- Happens when order_id doesn't exist in orders table
- Payment data: `['order_id' => 999, 'amount' => 5000, 'status' => 'pending']`
- Order 999 doesn't exist in database"

**Why it works:** Complete error, stack trace, context, and the specific data causing the issue.

## Expected vs Actual Behavior

### Vague
"The API isn't returning the right data"

### Specific
"Product API returning incorrect data:

**Expected behavior:**
```json
{
  "data": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Widget",
    "price": "29.99",
    "category": {
      "id": 5,
      "name": "Tools"
    }
  }
}
```

**Actual behavior:**
```json
{
  "data": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Widget",
    "price": 2999,
    "category": null
  }
}
```

**Issues:**
1. Price is in cents (2999) instead of formatted dollars ("29.99")
2. Category is null even though product has category_id = 5

**Code:**
```php
// ProductController@show
return new ProductResource($product);
```

Product has `category_id = 5` in database, but relationship not loading."

**Why it works:** Shows exact expected vs actual output, identifies specific issues, includes relevant code.

## Log Entries and State

### Insufficient
"Something's wrong with the queue"

### Sufficient
"Job failing in queue:

**Log entries:**
```
[2024-01-15 10:30:15] local.ERROR: Job failed: ProcessOrderJob
{"order_id":123,"exception":"Stripe\\Exception\\InvalidRequestException: 
No such customer: cus_invalid","attempts":3}

[2024-01-15 10:30:15] local.INFO: Order state before job
{"id":123,"status":"pending","stripe_customer_id":"cus_invalid"}
```

**Job code:**
```php
public function handle()
{
    $customer = $this->stripe->customers->retrieve(
        $this->order->stripe_customer_id
    );
    // ...
}
```

**State:**
- Order 123 has `stripe_customer_id = "cus_invalid"`
- Customer doesn't exist in Stripe
- Job has retried 3 times, now in failed_jobs table
- Using Laravel 13.x with Horizon"

From jpcaparas/superpowers-laravel, MIT.

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