Colm

[SKILL: COLM PAPER FORMAT]

Activate when: user mentions COLM, Conference on Language Modeling, or asks to use/fix the COLM 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/colm2025/ (referred to as TEMPLATES_DIR below), targeting COLM 2025. Contents: colm2025_conference.sty, colm2025_conference.bst, colm2025_conference.tex, colm2025_conference.bib, colm2025_conference.pdf, fancyhdr.sty, natbib.sty, math_commands.tex.

Pre-step: Year Confirmation & Template Acquisition

This step MUST be completed before any scenario below.

1. Confirm target year and stage (submission, preprint, or final). Default to latest available year if user does not specify.
2. Check whether TEMPLATES_DIR exists and includes required files: colm2025_conference.sty, colm2025_conference.bst, colm2025_conference.tex, fancyhdr.sty, natbib.sty.
3. Use local built-in template only when BOTH conditions hold:
   • target year = 2025
   • files in TEMPLATES_DIR are complete
4. If either condition fails (target year is not 2025 OR local template files are missing/incomplete), execute this workflow:
   • Inform user local built-in template is unavailable or year-mismatched
   • Open official COLM site: http://www.colmweb.org/
   • Find target-year CFP/submission page and locate "Author Kit", "Style Files", or template links
   • If official site has no direct files, check target-year OpenReview submission page for template links
   • Download official target-year template package (.zip or repository snapshot)
   • Unzip downloaded files directly into .
   • Continue all remaining steps with downloaded year-specific filenames
5. Confirm paper type/page policy from current CFP before edits (common baseline in recent years: main text up to 9 pages, references unlimited).
6. Filename substitution rule for all steps below:
   • Treat colm2025_conference in commands/examples as a placeholder for the resolved style basename from the selected .sty file.
   • Example: if the downloaded file is colm2026_conference.sty, replace colm2025_conference with colm2026_conference in \\usepackage, \\bibliographystyle, copy commands, and checks.

Scenario Routing

• User says "create / new COLM paper" → Scenario 1
• User says "switch to COLM format" / "apply COLM template" → Scenario 2
• User says "COLM format issue" / "compile error" → Scenario 3
• User says "check format" / "prepare for submission" → Scenario 4

Scenario 1: Create a New COLM Project

Step 1 — Copy template files to project core directory using bash:

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/natbib.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.tex with read_file for canonical preamble and document structure.

Step 3 — Create main.tex using write_file:

• \documentclass{article}
• Submission mode by default: \usepackage[submission]{colm2025_conference}
• Keep core packages from template (microtype, hyperref, url, booktabs, lineno)
• Keep line-number block:
  • \ifcolmsubmission
  • \linenumbers
  • \fi
• Use \bibliography{references} (or project bib file)
• Use \bibliographystyle{colm2025_conference}

Step 4 — Run latex_compile; if errors occur, fix and recompile.

Scenario 2: Switch an Existing Project to COLM Template

Step 1 — Read current main.tex with read_file to analyze current preamble.

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.tex with read_file as migration reference.

Step 3 — Copy style files using bash (do NOT overwrite paper content):

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/natbib.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 4 — Update preamble using str_replace:

• Set \documentclass{article}
• Set mode package per stage:
  • Submission: \usepackage[submission]{colm2025_conference}
  • Preprint: \usepackage[preprint]{colm2025_conference}
  • Camera-ready: \usepackage[final]{colm2025_conference}
• Remove conflicting layout/font overrides (geometry, manual margins, external Palatino/Times overrides that conflict with template)

Step 5 — Align submission/final behavior:

• Submission must keep anonymity and line numbers
• Final mode can expose author information
• Do not include identifying acknowledgements in anonymous submission

Step 6 — Fix bibliography setup:

• \bibliographystyle{colm2025_conference}
• \bibliography{references} (or existing bib file)

Step 7 — Run latex_compile and resolve remaining issues.

Scenario 3: Fix COLM Format Issues

Step 1 — Run latex_compile to capture errors/warnings.

Step 2 — Read preamble in main.tex and compare with TEMPLATES_DIR/colm2025_conference.tex.

Step 3 — Check common COLM failures:

• Missing colm2025_conference.sty / .bst in project root
• Wrong mode (using final or preprint during anonymous submission)
• Missing line-number block in submission mode
• Wrong bibliography style (not colm2025_conference)
• Manual margin/font overrides that break template geometry

Step 4 — Apply fixes with 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:

• \usepackage[submission]{colm2025_conference} is used for review submission
• No identifying author info or acknowledgements in anonymous submission
• Line numbers enabled for submission (\ifcolmsubmission ... \linenumbers ... \fi)
• Main text page count follows current CFP (commonly 9 pages; references unlimited)
• Paper size/layout not overridden (template targets US Letter, 8.5x11 in)
• Bibliography uses colm2025_conference style
• Optional sections (ethics statement, appendix) placed after main text according to CFP

Step 3 — Report and fix issues one by one with str_replace.

Step 4 — Run final latex_compile verification.

Format Reference

⚠️ Reference only — always verify: COLM policies can change by year. Always prioritize the target year's CFP and author kit over defaults in this skill.

Template Download

• COLM website: http://www.colmweb.org/
• Check target-year OpenReview/CFP pages for official author kit links

Setup: Unzip Location

Unzip into project root (same folder as main.tex):

project/
├── main.tex
├── colm2025_conference.sty
├── colm2025_conference.bst
├── colm2025_conference.tex
├── fancyhdr.sty
└── natbib.sty

Read These Files First

1. colm2025_conference.tex — canonical setup and usage
2. colm2025_conference.pdf — formatting instructions
3. colm2025_conference.sty — option behavior (submission, preprint, final)

Template Setup in main.tex

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[submission]{colm2025_conference}

\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{url}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{lineno}

\ifcolmsubmission
\linenumbers
\fi

Key Format Rules

Common Pitfalls

• Using wrong mode option for review (final instead of submission)
• Missing colm2025_conference.sty or .bst in root
• Overriding margins/fonts with geometry or custom hacks
• Forgetting submission line numbers
• Using non-COLM bibliography style