| name | acl-venues |
| description | ACL-family venue paper formatting (ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, EACL, AACL, COLING, ARR, Findings) — activate when the user wants any ACL-series template setup, migration, or format fixes. |
| allowed-tools | ["read_file","write_file","str_replace","bash","latex_compile"] |
[SKILL: ACL-FAMILY VENUE PAPER FORMAT]
Activate when: user mentions ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, EACL, AACL, COLING, ARR, Findings of ACL, or asks to use/fix any *ACL-series template.
Execution Protocol
After this skill is activated, select the matching scenario based on user intent.
Shared Common Workflow
Before venue-specific template steps, also load and follow ml-paper-writing skill.
At minimum, apply these shared references:
writing-guide.md (narrative and clarity)citation-workflow.md (verified citations; no hallucinations)reviewer-guidelines.md (reviewer-facing quality checks)checklists.md (pre-submission gates)
Built-in template: templates/acl/ (referred to as TEMPLATES_DIR below).
Contents: acl.sty, acl_latex.tex, acl_natbib.bst, custom.bib, anthology.bib.txt, formatting.md.
One template for all ACL-family venues: ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, EACL, AACL, COLING, ARR, and Findings generally share the same acl.sty + acl_natbib.bst style system; venue differences are mainly page limits and policy text.
Pre-step: Venue/Year/Track Confirmation & Template Source
This step MUST be completed before any scenario below.
- Confirm target venue and year (ACL/EMNLP/NAACL/EACL/AACL/COLING/ARR/Findings), plus paper type (long/short) and stage (review/final). Default to latest available year if user does not specify.
- Check whether local
TEMPLATES_DIR exists and includes required files: acl.sty, acl_natbib.bst, acl_latex.tex.
- Use local built-in template only when BOTH conditions hold:
- local files in
TEMPLATES_DIR are complete
- target venue/year does not require a different package than
acl.sty
- If either condition fails (local files missing/incomplete OR user asks for strict current-year kit), follow this download workflow exactly:
- Go to official ACLPUB portal: https://acl-org.github.io/ACLPUB/
- Open the target venue's CFP/submission page and find "Style Files", "Author Kit", or "Submission Instructions"
- Download the official style zip for the target year
- If the venue page is unclear, use fallback sources:
- Unzip downloaded files directly into <PROJECT_CORE>.
- Verify required files exist (
acl.sty, acl_natbib.bst, sample .tex)
- Continue all remaining steps using filenames from the downloaded kit if they differ
- Filename substitution rule for all steps below:
- Treat
acl / acl_natbib in commands/examples as defaults.
- If the downloaded kit uses different basenames, replace them consistently in
\\usepackage, \\bibliographystyle, copy commands, and checks.
Scenario Routing
- User says "create / new ACL-family paper" → Scenario 1
- User says "switch to ACL format" / "apply ACL template" → Scenario 2
- User says "ACL format issue" / "compile error" → Scenario 3
- User says "check format" / "prepare for submission" → Scenario 4
Treat all ACL-family venue requests with the same 4 scenarios above unless the target CFP requires a different style package.
Scenario 1: Create a New ACL-Family Project
Step 1 — Copy style files to the project core directory using bash:
bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/acl.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/acl_natbib.bst <PROJECT_CORE>/")
Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/acl_latex.tex with read_file for canonical preamble, title/author layout, and bibliography usage.
Step 3 — Create main.tex in the project core directory using write_file:
\documentclass[11pt]{article}- For anonymous review:
\usepackage[review]{acl}
- For camera-ready/final:
\usepackage{acl}
- Keep core packages aligned with template (
times, latexsym, fontenc, inputenc; optional microtype)
- Set title/author block according to review vs final stage
- Use
\bibliographystyle{acl_natbib} and \bibliography{custom} (or project bib filename)
Step 4 — Run latex_compile to verify successful compilation. If it fails, read the log and fix errors.
Scenario 2: Switch an Existing Project to ACL Template
Step 1 — Read current main.tex with read_file to analyze existing preamble and structure.
Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/acl_latex.tex with read_file as the migration reference.
Step 3 — Copy style files using bash (style files only — do NOT overwrite user content):
bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/acl.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/acl_natbib.bst <PROJECT_CORE>/")
Step 4 — Modify main.tex preamble using str_replace:
- Set
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
- Set
\usepackage[review]{acl} for submission or \usepackage{acl} for final
- Keep encoding/font packages required by template
- Remove layout-breaking/conflicting packages (
geometry, manual margin hacks, multicol, custom page size overrides)
Step 5 — Fix ACL-specific structure:
- Review mode: no identifying text, no acknowledgements
- Final mode: restore author and affiliation block
- If title/author block overflows, set
\setlength\titlebox{<dim>} with <dim> >= 5cm
Step 6 — Fix bibliography:
\bibliographystyle{acl_natbib}\bibliography{custom} (or existing project bib file)
Step 7 — Run latex_compile and resolve any remaining errors.
Scenario 3: Fix ACL Format Issues
Step 1 — Run latex_compile to capture current errors/warnings.
Step 2 — Read main.tex preamble and compare with TEMPLATES_DIR/acl_latex.tex.
Step 3 — Cross-check against common ACL failures:
- Missing
acl.sty or acl_natbib.bst in project root
- Wrong mode (
\usepackage{acl} vs \usepackage[review]{acl})
\bibliographystyle not set to acl_natbib- Manual layout overrides (
geometry, \onecolumn, custom margins)
- Review draft still contains acknowledgements or identifying information
Step 4 — Apply fixes using str_replace.
Step 5 — Re-run latex_compile until clean.
Scenario 4: Pre-submission Format Compliance Check
Step 1 — Read full main.tex with read_file.
Step 2 — Verify checklist items:
Step 3 — Report violations and fix them one by one with str_replace.
Step 4 — Run final latex_compile verification.
Format Reference
⚠️ Reference only — always verify: ACL-family requirements can change by venue/year. Always treat the target year's CFP and official author kit as source of truth.
Template Download
Setup: Unzip Location
Unzip into project root (same folder as main.tex):
project/
├── main.tex
├── acl.sty
├── acl_natbib.bst
├── acl_latex.tex
└── custom.bib
Read These Files First
acl_latex.tex — canonical sample for preamble and structureformatting.md — ACL formatting requirements and page-limit policyacl.sty comments — option behavior (review, preprint, final)
Template Setup in main.tex
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
% Submission (anonymous + line numbers)
\usepackage[review]{acl}
% Camera-ready:
% \usepackage{acl}
\usepackage{times}
\usepackage{latexsym}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{microtype}
Key Format Rules
| Item | Requirement |
|---|
| Layout | A4, two-column (except title/author region and full-width figures/tables) |
| Review anonymity | No identifying author info; no acknowledgements |
| Bibliography | acl_natbib style |
| Page limits | Follow target CFP (common review defaults: long 8, short 4 pages of content) |
| Final version | Remove review-only ruler/line numbers |
Common Pitfalls
- Using
geometry or manual margin hacks that break ACL layout
- Wrong package mode (
acl instead of [review] during submission)
- Forgetting
acl_natbib bibliography style
- Keeping acknowledgements in review submission
- Ignoring venue-specific limits for workshops/Findings tracks
