@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ESLint creates a configuration for each file that is linted based on your config
 This outputs all of ESLint's debugging information onto the console. You should copy this output to a file and then search for `eslint.config.js` to see which file is loaded. Here's some example output:
 
 ```text
-eslint:eslint Using file patterns: bin/eslint.js +0ms
+eslint:eslint Using file patterns: [ 'bin/eslint.js' ] +0ms
 eslint:eslint Searching for eslint.config.js +0ms
 eslint:eslint Loading config from C:\Users\nzakas\projects\eslint\eslint\eslint.config.js +5ms
 eslint:eslint Config file URL is file:///C:/Users/nzakas/projects/eslint/eslint/eslint.config.js +0ms
 
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ module.exports = defineConfig([
 		},
 		rules: {
 			"internal-rules/multiline-comment-style": "error",
+			"internal-rules/no-debug-template-literals": "error",
 		},
 	},
 	{
 
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ class LintResultCache {
 			invalidCacheStrategyErrorMessage,
 		);
 
-		debug(`Caching results to ${cacheFileLocation}`);
+		debug("Caching results to %s", cacheFileLocation);
 
 		const useChecksum = cacheStrategy === "content";
 
-		debug(`Using "${cacheStrategy}" strategy to detect changes`);
+		debug('Using "%s" strategy to detect changes', cacheStrategy);
 
 		this.fileEntryCache = fileEntryCache.create(
 			cacheFileLocation,
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ class LintResultCache {
 		// If source is present but null, need to reread the file from the filesystem.
 		if (results.source === null) {
 			debug(
-				`Rereading cached result source from filesystem: ${filePath}`,
+				"Rereading cached result source from filesystem: %s",
+				filePath,
 			);
 			results.source = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf-8");
 		}
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ class LintResultCache {
 		const fileDescriptor = this.fileEntryCache.getFileDescriptor(filePath);
 
 		if (fileDescriptor.notFound) {
-			debug(`File not found on the file system: ${filePath}`);
+			debug("File not found on the file system: %s", filePath);
 			return null;
 		}
 
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ class LintResultCache {
 			fileDescriptor.meta.hashOfConfig !== hashOfConfig;
 
 		if (changed) {
-			debug(`Cache entry not found or no longer valid: ${filePath}`);
+			debug("Cache entry not found or no longer valid: %s", filePath);
 			return null;
 		}
 
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ class LintResultCache {
 		const fileDescriptor = this.fileEntryCache.getFileDescriptor(filePath);
 
 		if (fileDescriptor && !fileDescriptor.notFound) {
-			debug(`Updating cached result: ${filePath}`);
+			debug("Updating cached result: %s", filePath);
 
 			// Serialize the result, except that we want to remove the file source if present.
 			const resultToSerialize = Object.assign({}, result);
@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ class LintResultCache {
 	 * @returns {void}
 	 */
 	reconcile() {
-		debug(`Persisting cached results: ${this.cacheFileLocation}`);
+		debug("Persisting cached results: %s", this.cacheFileLocation);
 		this.fileEntryCache.reconcile();
 	}
 }
 
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ const cli = {
 			return 0;
 		}
 
-		debug(`Running on ${useStdin ? "text" : "files"}`);
+		debug("Running on %s", useStdin ? "text" : "files");
 
 		if (options.fix && options.fixDryRun) {
 			log.error(
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ const cli = {
 		 * Neither option was provided, `options.color` is omitted, so `undefined`.
 		 */
 		if (options.color !== void 0) {
-			debug(`Color setting for output: ${options.color}`);
+			debug("Color setting for output: %s", options.color);
 			resultsMeta.color = options.color;
 		}
 
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ const cli = {
 					log.error(
 						"There are suppressions left that do not occur anymore. To resolve this, re-run the command with `--prune-suppressions` to remove unused suppressions. To ignore unused suppressions, use `--pass-on-unpruned-suppressions`.",
 					);
-					debug(JSON.stringify(unusedSuppressions, null, 2));
+					debug("%O", unusedSuppressions);
 
 					return 2;
 				}
 
@@ -196,11 +196,11 @@ async function dynamicImportConfig(filePath, fileURL, mtime) {
  * @returns {Promise<any>} The config loaded from the config file.
  */
 async function loadConfigFile(filePath, hasUnstableNativeNodeJsTSConfigFlag) {
-	debug(`Loading config from ${filePath}`);
+	debug("Loading config from %s", filePath);
 
 	const fileURL = pathToFileURL(filePath);
 
-	debug(`Config file URL is ${fileURL}`);
+	debug("Config file URL is %s", fileURL);
 
 	const mtime = (await fs.stat(filePath)).mtime.getTime();
 
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 	async loadConfigArrayForFile(filePath) {
 		assertValidFilePath(filePath);
 
-		debug(`Calculating config for file ${filePath}`);
+		debug("Calculating config for file %s", filePath);
 
 		const configFilePath = await this.findConfigFileForPath(filePath);
 
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 	async loadConfigArrayForDirectory(dirPath) {
 		assertValidFilePath(dirPath);
 
-		debug(`Calculating config for directory ${dirPath}`);
+		debug("Calculating config for directory %s", dirPath);
 
 		const absoluteDirPath = path.resolve(
 			this.#options.cwd,
@@ -434,7 +434,11 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 		const { configFilePath, basePath } =
 			await this.#locateConfigFileToUse(absoluteDirPath);
 
-		debug(`Using config file ${configFilePath} and base path ${basePath}`);
+		debug(
+			"Using config file %s and base path %s",
+			configFilePath,
+			basePath,
+		);
 		return this.#calculateConfigArray(configFilePath, basePath);
 	}
 
@@ -452,7 +456,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 	getCachedConfigArrayForFile(filePath) {
 		assertValidFilePath(filePath);
 
-		debug(`Looking up cached config for ${filePath}`);
+		debug("Looking up cached config for %s", filePath);
 
 		return this.getCachedConfigArrayForPath(path.dirname(filePath));
 	}
@@ -471,7 +475,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 	getCachedConfigArrayForPath(fileOrDirPath) {
 		assertValidFilePath(fileOrDirPath);
 
-		debug(`Looking up cached config for ${fileOrDirPath}`);
+		debug("Looking up cached config for %s", fileOrDirPath);
 
 		const absoluteDirPath = path.resolve(this.#options.cwd, fileOrDirPath);
 
@@ -533,7 +537,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 		let basePath = cwd;
 
 		if (typeof useConfigFile === "string") {
-			debug(`Override config file path is ${useConfigFile}`);
+			debug("Override config file path is %s", useConfigFile);
 			configFilePath = path.resolve(cwd, useConfigFile);
 			basePath = cwd;
 		} else if (useConfigFile !== false) {
@@ -574,7 +578,9 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 		} = options;
 
 		debug(
-			`Calculating config array from config file ${configFilePath} and base path ${basePath}`,
+			"Calculating config array from config file %s and base path %s",
+			configFilePath,
+			basePath,
 		);
 
 		const configs = new FlatConfigArray(baseConfig || [], {
@@ -584,7 +590,7 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 
 		// load config file
 		if (configFilePath) {
-			debug(`Loading config file ${configFilePath}`);
+			debug("Loading config file %s", configFilePath);
 			const fileConfig = await loadConfigFile(
 				configFilePath,
 				hasUnstableNativeNodeJsTSConfigFlag,
@@ -602,14 +608,17 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 			let emptyConfig = typeof fileConfig === "undefined";
 
 			debug(
-				`Config file ${configFilePath} is ${emptyConfig ? "empty" : "not empty"}`,
+				"Config file %s is %s",
+				configFilePath,
+				emptyConfig ? "empty" : "not empty",
 			);
 
 			if (!emptyConfig) {
 				if (Array.isArray(fileConfig)) {
 					if (fileConfig.length === 0) {
 						debug(
-							`Config file ${configFilePath} is an empty array`,
+							"Config file %s is an empty array",
+							configFilePath,
 						);
 						emptyConfig = true;
 					} else {
@@ -622,7 +631,8 @@ class ConfigLoader {
 						Object.keys(fileConfig).length === 0
 					) {
 						debug(
-							`Config file ${configFilePath} is an empty object`,
+							"Config file %s is an empty object",
+							configFilePath,
 						);
 						emptyConfig = true;
 					} else {
 
@@ -1261,9 +1261,12 @@ async function lintFile(
 				cachedResult.messages && cachedResult.messages.length > 0;
 
 			if (hadMessages && fix) {
-				debug(`Reprocessing cached file to allow autofix: ${filePath}`);
+				debug(
+					"Reprocessing cached file to allow autofix: %s",
+					filePath,
+				);
 			} else {
-				debug(`Skipping file since it hasn't changed: ${filePath}`);
+				debug("Skipping file since it hasn't changed: %s", filePath);
 				return cachedResult;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -759,8 +759,6 @@ class ESLint {
 			warningService,
 		);
 
-		debug(`Using config loader ${this.#configLoader.constructor.name}`);
-
 		privateMembers.set(this, {
 			options: processedOptions,
 			linter,
@@ -1003,14 +1001,14 @@ class ESLint {
 			}
 		}
 
-		debug(`Using file patterns: ${normalizedPatterns}`);
+		debug("Using file patterns: %s", normalizedPatterns);
 
 		const { concurrency, cwd, globInputPaths, errorOnUnmatchedPattern } =
 			eslintOptions;
 
 		// Delete cache file; should this be done here?
 		if (!lintResultCache && cacheFilePath) {
-			debug(`Deleting cache file at ${cacheFilePath}`);
+			debug("Deleting cache file at %s", cacheFilePath);
 
 			try {
 				if (existsSync(cacheFilePath)) {
@@ -1046,7 +1044,7 @@ class ESLint {
 			filePaths,
 		);
 		if (workerCount) {
-			debug(`Linting using ${workerCount} worker thread(s).`);
+			debug("Linting using %d worker thread(s).", workerCount);
 			let poorConcurrencyNotice;
 			if (workerCount <= 2) {
 				poorConcurrencyNotice = "disable concurrency";
@@ -1069,7 +1067,7 @@ class ESLint {
 					),
 			);
 		} else {
-			debug(`Linting in single-thread mode.`);
+			debug("Linting in single-thread mode.");
 			results = await lintFilesWithoutMultithreading(this, filePaths);
 		}
 
 
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * @author Toru Nagashima
  */
 
+/* eslint internal-rules/no-debug-template-literals: ["error", { methods: ["dump"] }] -- Check calls to `debug.dump`. */
+
 "use strict";
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ function forwardCurrentToHead(analyzer, node) {
 				? "onCodePathSegmentEnd"
 				: "onUnreachableCodePathSegmentEnd";
 
-			debug.dump(`${eventName} ${currentSegment.id}`);
+			debug.dump("%s %s", eventName, currentSegment.id);
 
 			analyzer.emit(eventName, [currentSegment, node]);
 		}
@@ -213,7 +215,7 @@ function forwardCurrentToHead(analyzer, node) {
 				? "onCodePathSegmentStart"
 				: "onUnreachableCodePathSegmentStart";
 
-			debug.dump(`${eventName} ${headSegment.id}`);
+			debug.dump("%s %s", eventName, headSegment.id);
 			CodePathSegment.markUsed(headSegment);
 			analyzer.emit(eventName, [headSegment, node]);
 		}
@@ -237,7 +239,7 @@ function leaveFromCurrentSegment(analyzer, node) {
 			? "onCodePathSegmentEnd"
 			: "onUnreachableCodePathSegmentEnd";
 
-		debug.dump(`${eventName} ${currentSegment.id}`);
+		debug.dump("%s %s", eventName, currentSegment.id);
 
 		analyzer.emit(eventName, [currentSegment, node]);
 	}
@@ -415,7 +417,7 @@ function processCodePathToEnter(analyzer, node) {
 		state = CodePath.getState(codePath);
 
 		// Emits onCodePathStart events.
-		debug.dump(`onCodePathStart ${codePath.id}`);
+		debug.dump("onCodePathStart %s", codePath.id);
 		analyzer.emit("onCodePathStart", [codePath, node]);
 	}
 
@@ -683,7 +685,7 @@ function postprocess(analyzer, node) {
 		leaveFromCurrentSegment(analyzer, node);
 
 		// Emits onCodePathEnd event of this code path.
-		debug.dump(`onCodePathEnd ${codePath.id}`);
+		debug.dump("onCodePathEnd %s", codePath.id);
 		analyzer.emit("onCodePathEnd", [codePath, node]);
 		debug.dumpDot(codePath);
 
@@ -817,7 +819,9 @@ class CodePathAnalyzer {
 	onLooped(fromSegment, toSegment) {
 		if (fromSegment.reachable && toSegment.reachable) {
 			debug.dump(
-				`onCodePathSegmentLoop ${fromSegment.id} -> ${toSegment.id}`,
+				"onCodePathSegmentLoop %s -> %s",
+				fromSegment.id,
+				toSegment.id,
 			);
 			this.emit("onCodePathSegmentLoop", [
 				fromSegment,
 
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@ module.exports = {
 				}
 
 				debug(
-					[
-						`${state.currentSegments.map(getId).join(",")})`,
-						`${node.type}${leaving ? ":exit" : ""}`,
-					].join(" "),
+					"%s) %s%s",
+					state.currentSegments.map(getId).join(","),
+					node.type,
+					leaving ? ":exit" : "",
 				);
 			},
 
 
@@ -1529,12 +1529,16 @@ class Linter {
 			}
 
 			debug(
-				`Linting code for ${debugTextDescription} (pass ${passNumber})`,
+				"Linting code for %s (pass %d)",
+				debugTextDescription,
+				passNumber,
 			);
 			messages = this.verify(currentText, config, options);
 
 			debug(
-				`Generating fixed text for ${debugTextDescription} (pass ${passNumber})`,
+				"Generating fixed text for %s (pass %d)",
+				debugTextDescription,
+				passNumber,
 			);
 			let t;
 
@@ -1589,7 +1593,8 @@ class Linter {
 				currentText === secondPreviousText
 			) {
 				debug(
-					`Circular fixes detected after pass ${passNumber}. Exiting fix loop.`,
+					"Circular fixes detected after pass %d. Exiting fix loop.",
+					passNumber,
 				);
 				slots.warningService.emitCircularFixesWarning(
 					options.filename ?? "text",
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ module.exports = defineConfig([`
`111`	`111`	`},`
`112`	`112`	`rules: {`
`113`	`113`	`"internal-rules/multiline-comment-style": "error",`
	`114`	`+ "internal-rules/no-debug-template-literals": "error",`
`114`	`115`	`},`
`115`	`116`	`},`
`116`	`117`	`{`
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -1261,9 +1261,12 @@ async function lintFile(`
`1261`	`1261`	`cachedResult.messages && cachedResult.messages.length > 0;`
`1262`	`1262`
`1263`	`1263`	`if (hadMessages && fix) {`
`1264`		- debug(`Reprocessing cached file to allow autofix: ${filePath}`);
	`1264`	`+ debug(`
	`1265`	`+ "Reprocessing cached file to allow autofix: %s",`
	`1266`	`+ filePath,`
	`1267`	`+ );`
`1265`	`1268`	`} else {`
`1266`		- debug(`Skipping file since it hasn't changed: ${filePath}`);
	`1269`	`+ debug("Skipping file since it hasn't changed: %s", filePath);`
`1267`	`1270`	`return cachedResult;`
`1268`	`1271`	`}`
`1269`	`1272`	`}`