Ieee Latex

IEEEtran LaTeX Build and Diagnosis

Use this skill to compile and repair IEEE journal manuscripts while preserving IEEEtran conventions. It complements generic LaTeX compilation skills by focusing on IEEE-specific structure, bibliography, floats, captions, and submission checks.

Core stance

• Compile before guessing. Read the .log, .blg, and warnings; fix the first real error

before cosmetic warnings.

• Use IEEEtran conventions. Do not "fix" by switching classes, bibliography styles, caption

packages, or section styles away from IEEE unless the template requires it.

• Keep source changes minimal. Prefer small fixes to packages/macros over broad template rewrites.
• Do not hide warnings. Overfull boxes, undefined refs, missing fonts, and BibTeX failures need

diagnosis, not suppression.

• Check final PDF surface. A successful compile is not enough if figures are unreadable,

references are ??, or captions violate IEEE style.

When to open extra files

| File | Open when | |---|---| | [references/build-diagnosis.md](references/build-diagnosis.md) | Running compile commands, reading .log/.blg, fixing undefined refs/citations, overfull boxes, package conflicts, and BibTeX problems | | [references/ieeetran-checklist.md](references/ieeetran-checklist.md) | Auditing IEEEtran class options, abstract/Index Terms, floats/captions, equations, references, biographies, WCL/CL page constraints, and submission readiness |

Use ieee-citation for reference formatting, ieee-figure for figure generation, and ieee-letter for WCL/CL page strategy.

Workflow

1. Locate the root file and build system: main.tex, latexmkrc, Makefile, arara, or IDE log.
2. Run or inspect the build with an IEEE-safe sequence: LaTeX -> BibTeX -> LaTeX -> LaTeX, or

latexmk when configured.

1. Classify failures: fatal compile error, bibliography failure, undefined references, float

problems, overfull boxes, missing fonts/figures, or page-limit issue.

1. Patch minimally: fix paths, labels, citations, packages, fragile macros, caption syntax, and

bibliography style without rewriting the manuscript.

1. Rebuild and verify: no fatal errors; no unresolved ??; bibliography generated; PDF opens;

critical warnings explained.

1. Run IEEE-specific checks: documentclass, Index Terms, section headings, figure/table captions,

equation numbering, appendices, biographies, page budget, and vector figures.

Output format

1. Diagnosis: root cause, files involved, and the first failing log lines or warning classes.
2. Commands run: exact compile/check commands and results.
3. Fixes applied: concise list of source changes.
4. PDF status: output PDF path, unresolved refs/cites count, major warnings, page count if known.
5. Remaining actions: any author decisions, missing figures, metadata, or journal-specific checks.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: TenWalk
• Source: TenWalk/ieee-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.