diff --git a/wp-includes/author-template.php b/wp-includes/author-template.php
index 9d6bedc1c..703576618 100644
--- a/wp-includes/author-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/author-template.php
@@ -127,6 +127,23 @@ function the_author_meta($field = '', $user_id = false) {
echo apply_filters('the_author_' . $field, get_the_author_meta($field, $user_id), $user_id);
}
+/**
+ * Retrieve either author's link or author's name.
+ *
+ * If the author has a home page set, return an HTML link, otherwise just return the
+ * author's name.
+ *
+ * @uses get_the_author_meta()
+ * @uses get_the_author()
+ */
+function get_the_author_link() {
+ if ( get_the_author_meta('url') ) {
+ return '' . get_the_author() . '';
+ } else {
+ return get_the_author();
+ }
+}
+
/**
* Display either author's link or author's name.
*
@@ -135,15 +152,10 @@ function the_author_meta($field = '', $user_id = false) {
*
* @link http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Tags/the_author_link
* @since 2.1
- * @uses get_the_author_meta()
- * @uses the_author()
+ * @uses get_the_author_link()
*/
function the_author_link() {
- if ( get_the_author_meta('url') ) {
- echo '' . get_the_author() . '';
- } else {
- the_author();
- }
+ echo get_the_author_link();
}
/**