Note: This help page describes the steps to create a Japanese translation page for an existing English page. Please use the appropriate language for your translation.

In order to edit a page, you need to register first. See Help:New user for details. The text in italics needs to be substituted with an appropriate text.

Step 1: Locate an existing English page

You need to decide which page you wish to translate. A simple definition page for "Accretion" is used in this example. From Beachapedia's top page, follow the link to "Accretion." Then, click on "Edit with form" tab on top of the page.

Step 2: Creating a Japanese translation page

In order to create a Japanese translation page, enter a page name in the text box below "Does this article have translations into another language? If so, what is the article title?" Then click on "Save page" button.

Step 3: "Translations" property on the English page

Clicking on "Save page" button adds "translations" property to "Accretion" page. You can see this by clicking on "Edit" tab on top of the page. "Translations=Japanese page" is inserted in the Wikitext. A page with "translations" property displays a link to a translation page indicated after the "=" sign. If you click on "Read" tab on top of the page, the page displays a caption "This page has translations" and a link to the Japanese translation page. In order to edit the Japanese translation page, click on this link.

Step 4: Editing the new Japanese translation page

You are directed to "Create" page for the Japanese translation page. Enter the line:

{{Article|istranslation=Yes|lang categories=日本語}}

in the edit box under "Wikitext" tab. (|istranslation=Yes|lang categories=Target language)

You do not need to specify the original English page. The system will automatically find the page that your new page is a translation of (and any other translations of that page). Links among all of the pages will be created automatically as long as they are all listed under translations= on the English page. Then enter the Japanese text, i.e., your translation. Click on "Preview" tab to see the formatted version of the page. When you are satisfied with the previewed result, click on "Save page" to save the page.

See Help:Using categories for details about categories. See Help:Editing for more details about formatting.

Step 5: Make sure the links point back to one another

Make sure to test links. You can always click on "Edit" tab on top of the page and change the Wikitext. Changes are not saved automatically. So make sure to save the change before you click on the different tab or leave the page.

The steps described in this page are briefly demonstrated in the online training session conducted by Mark Rauscher. This training session is recommended for all new users since it gives you a good overview of the MediaWiki software on which Beachapedia is based. See Help:Training Session to play the video.