diff --git a/wp-includes/author-template.php b/wp-includes/author-template.php
index fc0099c5e..3c287b0da 100644
--- a/wp-includes/author-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/author-template.php
@@ -1,86 +1,187 @@
 <?php
 
+/**
+ * Get the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @param string $deprecated Deprecated.
+ * @return string The author's display name.
+ */
 function get_the_author($deprecated = '') {
 	global $authordata;
 	return apply_filters('the_author', $authordata->display_name);
 }
 
-// Using echo = false is deprecated.  Use get_the_author instead.
+/**
+ * Echo the name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author()
+ * @param string $deprecated Deprecated.
+ * @param string $deprecated_echo Echo the string or return it. Deprecated, use get_the_author().
+ * @return string The author's display name, from get_the_author().
+ */
 function the_author($deprecated = '', $deprecated_echo = true) {
 	if ( $deprecated_echo )
 		echo get_the_author();
 	return get_the_author();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the description of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's description.
+ */
 function get_the_author_description() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->description;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Echo the description of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_description()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_description() {
 	echo get_the_author_description();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the login name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's login name (username).
+ */
 function get_the_author_login() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->user_login;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the login name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_login()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_login() {
 	echo get_the_author_login();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the first name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's first name.
+ */
 function get_the_author_firstname() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->first_name;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Echo the first name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_firstname()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_firstname() {
 	echo get_the_author_firstname();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the last name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's last name.
+ */
 function get_the_author_lastname() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->last_name;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the last name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_lastname()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_lastname() {
 	echo get_the_author_lastname();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the nickname of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's nickname.
+ */
 function get_the_author_nickname() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->nickname;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the nickname of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_nickname()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_nickname() {
 	echo get_the_author_nickname();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the ID of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return int The author's ID.
+ */
 function get_the_author_ID() {
 	global $authordata;
-	return $authordata->ID;
+	return (int) $authordata->ID;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Echo the ID of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_ID()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_ID() {
 	echo get_the_author_id();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the email of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's username.
+ */
 function get_the_author_email() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->user_email;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the email of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_email()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_email() {
 	echo apply_filters('the_author_email', get_the_author_email() );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the URL to the home page of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The URL to the author's page.
+ */
 function get_the_author_url() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->user_url;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the URL to the home page of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_url()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_url() {
 	echo get_the_author_url();
 }
 
+/**
+ * If the author has a home page set, echo an HTML link, otherwise just echo the author's name.
+ * @see get_the_author_url()
+ * @see the_author()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_link() {
 	if (get_the_author_url()) {
 		echo '<a href="' . get_the_author_url() . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Visit %s's website"), get_the_author()) . '" rel="external">' . get_the_author() . '</a>';
@@ -89,61 +190,129 @@ function the_author_link() {
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the ICQ number of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's ICQ number.
+ */
 function get_the_author_icq() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->icq;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the ICQ number of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_icq()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_icq() {
 	echo get_the_author_icq();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the AIM name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's AIM name.
+ */
 function get_the_author_aim() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return str_replace(' ', '+', $authordata->aim);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the AIM name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_aim()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_aim() {
 	echo get_the_author_aim();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the Yahoo! IM name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's Yahoo! IM name.
+ */
 function get_the_author_yim() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->yim;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the Yahoo! IM name of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_yim()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_yim() {
 	echo get_the_author_yim();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the MSN address of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @return string The author's MSN address.
+ */
 function get_the_author_msn() {
 	global $authordata;
 	return $authordata->msn;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the MSN address of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_msn()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_msn() {
 	echo get_the_author_msn();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the number of posts by the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $post The current post in the Loop's DB object.
+ * @see get_usernumposts()
+ * @return int The number of posts by the author.
+ */
 function get_the_author_posts() {
 	global $post;
-	$posts = get_usernumposts($post->post_author);
-	return $posts;
+	return get_usernumposts($post->post_author);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo the number of posts by the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @see get_the_author_posts()
+ * @return null
+ */
 function the_author_posts() {
 	echo get_the_author_posts();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Echo an HTML link to the author page of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $authordata The current author's DB object.
+ * @see get_author_posts_url()
+ * @see get_the_author()
+ * @return null
+ */
 /* the_author_posts_link() requires no get_, use get_author_posts_url() */
 function the_author_posts_link($deprecated = '') {
 	global $authordata;
-
-	echo '<a href="' . get_author_posts_url($authordata->ID, $authordata->user_nicename) . '" title="' . sprintf(__("Posts by %s"), attribute_escape(get_the_author())) . '">' . get_the_author() . '</a>';
+	printf( 
+		'<a href="%1$s" title="%2$s">%3$s</a>', 
+		get_author_posts_url( $authordata->ID, $authordata->user_nicename ), 
+		sprintf( __( 'Posts by %s' ), attribute_escape( get_the_author() ) ), 
+		get_the_author()
+	);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the URL to the author page of the author of the current post in the Loop.
+ * @global object $wpdb WordPress database layer.
+ * @global object $wp_rewrite WP_Rewrite
+ * @global object $post The current post in the Loop's DB object.
+ * @return string The URL to the author's page.
+ */
 function get_author_posts_url($author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
-	global $wpdb, $wp_rewrite, $post, $cache_userdata;
+	global $wpdb, $wp_rewrite, $post;
 	$auth_ID = (int) $author_id;
 	$link = $wp_rewrite->get_author_permastruct();
 
@@ -165,13 +334,28 @@ function get_author_posts_url($author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
 	return $link;
 }
 
-// Get author's preferred display name
+/**
+ * Get the specified author's preferred display name.
+ * @param int $auth_id The ID of the author.
+ * @return string The author's display name.
+ */
 function get_author_name( $auth_id ) {
 	$authordata = get_userdata( $auth_id );
-
 	return $authordata->display_name;
 }
 
+/**
+ * List all the authors of the blog, with several options available.
+ * optioncount (boolean) (false): Show the count in parenthesis next to the author's name.
+ * exclude_admin (boolean) (true): Exclude the 'admin' user that is installed by default.
+ * show_fullname (boolean) (false): Show their full names.
+ * hide_empty (boolean) (true): Don't show authors without any posts.
+ * feed (string) (''): If isn't empty, show links to author's feeds.
+ * feed_image (string) (''): If isn't empty, use this image to link to feeds.
+ * echo (boolean) (true): Set to false to return the output, instead of echoing.
+ * @param array $args The argument array.
+ * @return null|string The output, if echo is set to false.
+ */
 function wp_list_authors($args = '') {
 	global $wpdb;