welcome

You’ve made a significant step forward by investing in your ability to effectively debug and analyze Java applications. Throughout my years of experience, I’ve realized that understanding how an app works often takes precedence over writing new code. Like many developers, I’ve frequently found myself asking, “Why does the app work this way?” or “Why doesn’t it work as expected?”

In this second edition, I’ve built on the foundational concepts introduced in the first edition. This book includes not only the time-tested techniques I’ve honed over years of troubleshooting complex and messy codebases but also incorporates cutting-edge approaches leveraging AI to make debugging faster and more precise. The journey often starts with simple questions and ends with profound insights into how applications behave—or misbehave.

In the early days, I sometimes spent days deciphering the execution flow of an app, only to resolve the issue with a single-line fix. Those experiences, while challenging, taught me the value of structured investigation and the importance of the right tools and techniques. With the addition of AI tools and methodologies, I’m excited to share how these new technologies can augment your troubleshooting workflow, saving even more time and effort.