[hpc-announce] CfP: SLE 2026 - 19th ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Software Language Engineering

[Andrei Chis]

19th ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Software Language
Engineering (SLE 2026)
2 - 3 July 2026
Rennes, France

https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://conf.researchr.org/home/sle-2026__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_Rw1XkWiQ$ 
https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://www.sleconf.org/2026/__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_Rn5Jo-VQ$ 
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We are pleased to invite you to submit papers to the 19th ACM SIGPLAN
International Conference on Software Language Engineering (SLE) which
is devoted to the principles of software languages: their design,
their implementation, and their evolution. The SLE 2026 conference
will be co-located with STAF 2026 and hosted in Rennes, France, on 2 -
3 July 2026.

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Important Dates
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* Abstract submission (all tracks): Friday 27 February 2026
* Paper submission (all tracks): Friday 6 March 2026
* Paper notification (all tracks): Monday 20 April 2026
* Conference: Thursday 2 - Friday 3 July 2026 (co-located with STAF)

All dates are Anywhere on Earth.

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Topics of Interest
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SLE covers software language engineering in general, rather than
engineering a specific software language. Topics of interest include,
but are not limited to:

*Software Language Design and Implementation
   - Approaches to and methods for language design
   - Static semantics (e.g., design rules, well-formedness constraints)
   - Techniques for specifying behavioral/executable semantics
   - Generative approaches (incl. code synthesis, compilation)
   - Meta-languages, meta-tools, language workbenches
   - AI-assisted language design and optimisation
* Software Language Quality
   - Verification and formal methods for languages
   - Testing techniques for languages
   - Simulation techniques for languages
   - Model-based testing
   - AI-assisted validation
* Software Language Integration and Composition
   - Coordination of heterogeneous languages and tools
   - Mappings between languages (incl. transformation languages)
   - Traceability between languages
   - Deployment of languages to different platforms
   - (AI-assisted) Language refactorings
* Software Language Maintenance
   - Software language reuse
   - Language evolution
   - Language families and variability, language and software product lines
* Domain-specific approaches for any aspects of SLE (design,
implementation, validation, maintenance)
* Empirical evaluation and experience reports of language engineering tools
   - User studies evaluating usability
   - Performance benchmarks
   - Industrial applications
* Synergies between Language Engineering and emerging/promising research areas
   - Generative AI in language engineering (e.g., AI-based language
modelling, AI-driven code generation tools)
   - Language engineering for AI. AI and ML language engineering
(e.g., ML compiler testing, code classification, DSLs for AI processes
and tasks…)
   - Quantum language engineering (e.g., language design for quantum machines)
   - Language engineering for physical systems (e.g., CPS, IoT, digital twins)
   - Socio-technical systems and language engineering (e.g., language
evolution to adapt to social requirements)


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Types of Submissions
---------------------------

SLE accepts the following types of papers:

* Research papers: These are “traditional” papers detailing research
contributions to SLE. Papers may range from 6 to 12 pages in length
and may optionally include 2 further pages of bibliography/appendices.
Papers will be reviewed with an understanding that some results do not
need 12 full pages and may be fully described in fewer pages.

* New ideas/vision papers: These papers may describe new,
unconventional software language engineering research positions or
approaches that depart from standard practice. They can describe
well-defined research ideas that are at an early stage of
investigation. They could also provide new evidence to challenge
common wisdom, present new unifying theories about existing SLE
research that provides novel insight or that can lead to the
development of new technologies or approaches, or apply SLE technology
to radically new application areas. New ideas/vision papers must not
exceed 5 pages and may optionally include 1 further page of
bibliography/appendices.

* SLE Body of Knowledge: The SLE Body of Knowledge (SLEBoK) is a
community-wide effort to provide a unique and comprehensive
description of the concepts, best practices, tools, and methods
developed by the SLE community. In this respect, the SLE conference
will accept surveys, essays, open challenges, empirical observations,
and case study papers on the SLE topics. These can focus on, but are
not limited to, methods, techniques, best practices, and teaching
approaches. Papers in this category can have up to 20 pages, including
bibliography/appendices.

* Tool papers: These papers focus on the tooling aspects often
forgotten or neglected in research papers. A good tool paper focuses
on practical insights that will likely be useful to other implementers
or users in the future. Any of the SLE topics of interest are
appropriate areas for tool papers. Submissions must not exceed 5 pages
and may optionally include 1 further page of bibliography/appendices.
They may optionally include an appendix with a demo
outline/screenshots and/or a short video/screencast illustrating the
tool.

**Workshops**: Workshops will be organised by STAF. Please inform us
and contact STAF 2026 organisers if you would like to organise a
workshop of interest to the SLE audience. Information on how to submit
workshops can be found on the STAF 2026 Website.


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Submission
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SLE 2026 has a single submission round for papers, including a
mandatory abstract registration.

Authors of accepted research papers will be invited to submit artefacts.


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Format
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Submissions have to use the ACM SIGPLAN Conference Format “acmart”
(https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://sigplan.org/Resources/Author/*acmart-format__;Iw!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_TddUO5qA$ ); please make
sure that you always use the latest ACM SIGPLAN acmart LaTeX template,
and that the document class definition is
\documentclass[sigplan,anonymous,review]{acmart}. Do not make any
changes to this format!

Ensure that your submission is legible when printed on a black and
white printer. In particular, please check that colours remain
distinct and font sizes in figures and tables are legible.

To increase fairness in reviewing, a double-blind review process has
become standard across SIGPLAN conferences. Accordingly, SLE will
follow the double-blind process. Author names and institutions must be
omitted from submitted papers, and references to the authors’ own
related work should be in the third person. No other changes are
necessary, and authors will not be penalized if reviewers are able to
infer their identities in implicit ways.

All submissions must be in PDF format. You can access the submission
site from the conference website:
https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://conf.researchr.org/home/sle-2026__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_Rw1XkWiQ$ 


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Concurrent Submissions
---------------------------

Papers must describe unpublished work that is not currently submitted
for publication elsewhere as described by SIGPLAN’s Republication
Policy (https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://www.sigplan.org/Resources/Policies/Republication/__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_SvzEAEGg$ ).
Submitters should also be aware of ACM’s Policy and Procedures on
Plagiarism (https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/plagiarism-overview__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_SMZmZllg$ ).
Submissions that violate these policies will be desk-rejected.

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Policy on Human Participant and Subject Research
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Authors conducting research involving human participants and subjects
must ensure that their research complies with their local governing
laws and regulations and the ACM’s general principles, as stated in
the ACM’s Publications Policy on Research Involving Human Participants
and Subjects (https://urldefense.us/v3/__https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/research-involving-human-participants-and-subjects__;!!G_uCfscf7eWS!bDJw09w1uffuwSGYywAz2CaqHEgdAIvSwlm-heYGUmkWAqiwN0p-4RgXFc70cLw3NdK-QftMgwHvHjzZbvBNDMB4S_TPDDkMRA$ ).
If submissions are found to be violating this policy, they will be
rejected.

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Reviewing Process
---------------------------

All submitted papers will be reviewed by at least three members of the
program committee. Research papers and tool papers will be evaluated
concerning soundness, relevance, novelty, presentation, validation,
and replicability. New ideas/vision papers will be evaluated primarily
concerning soundness, relevance, novelty, and presentation. Tool
papers will be evaluated concerning relevance, presentation, and
replicability.

For fairness reasons, all submitted papers must conform to the above
instructions. Submissions that violate these instructions may be
rejected without review at the discretion of the PC chairs.


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Artefact Evaluation
---------------------------

SLE will use an evaluation process to assess the quality of artefacts
on which papers are based to foster the culture of experimental
reproducibility. Authors of accepted research papers are invited to
submit artefacts.

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Awards
---------------------------

* Distinguished paper: Award for the most notable paper, as determined
by the PC chairs based on the recommendations of the program
committee.
* Distinguished artefact: Award for the artefact most significantly
exceeding expectations, as determined by the AEC chairs based on the
recommendations of the artefact evaluation committee.
* Distinguished reviewer: Award for the programme committee member
that produced the most useful reviews as assessed by paper authors.
* Most Influential Paper: Award for the SLE 2016 paper with the
greatest impact, as judged by the SLE Steering Committee.

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Publication
---------------------------

All accepted papers will be published in the ACM Digital Library.

**AUTHORS TAKE NOTE**: The official publication date is the date the
proceedings are made available in the ACM Digital Library. This date
may be up to two weeks prior to the first day of the conference. The
official publication date affects the deadline for any patent filings
related to published work.

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Organisation
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* General chair: Arnaud Blouin, Univ Rennes, INSA Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA
* PC co-chair: Jordi Cabot, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
* PC co-chair: Shigeru Chiba, University of Tokyo, Japan

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Contact
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For additional information, clarification, or answers to any
questions, please get in touch with the program co-chairs
(jordi.cabot at list.lu and chiba at g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp).