get_the_author_meta() WordPress Function

function get_the_author_meta( $field = '', $user_id = false ) {
	$original_user_id = $user_id;

	if ( ! $user_id ) {
		global $authordata;
		$user_id = isset( $authordata->ID ) ? $authordata->ID : 0;
	} else {
		$authordata = get_userdata( $user_id );
	}

	if ( in_array( $field, array( 'login', 'pass', 'nicename', 'email', 'url', 'registered', 'activation_key', 'status' ), true ) ) {
		$field = 'user_' . $field;
	}

	$value = isset( $authordata->$field ) ? $authordata->$field : '';

	/**
	 * Filters the value of the requested user metadata.
	 *
	 * The filter name is dynamic and depends on the $field parameter of the function.
	 *
	 * @since 2.8.0
	 * @since 4.3.0 The `$original_user_id` parameter was added.
	 *
	 * @param string    $value            The value of the metadata.
	 * @param int       $user_id          The user ID for the value.
	 * @param int|false $original_user_id The original user ID, as passed to the function.
	 */
	return apply_filters( "get_the_author_{$field}", $value, $user_id, $original_user_id );
}
Uses	Description
wp-includes/pluggable.php:get_userdata()	Retrieve user info by user ID.
wp-includes/plugin.php:apply_filters()	Calls the callback functions that have been added to a filter hook.
wp-includes/author-template.php:get_the_author_{$field}	Filters the value of the requested user metadata.
Used By	Description
wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php:WP_Posts_List_Table::column_author()	Handles the post author column output.
wp-admin/includes/class-wp-media-list-table.php:WP_Media_List_Table::column_author()	Handles the author column output.
wp-includes/general-template.php:get_the_archive_description()	Retrieves the description for an author, post type, or term archive.
wp-admin/includes/export.php:export_wp()	Generates the WXR export file for download.
wp-admin/includes/revision.php:wp_prepare_revisions_for_js()	Prepare revisions for JavaScript.
wp-includes/general-template.php:feed_links_extra()	Display the links to the extra feeds such as category feeds.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_profile()	Retrieve user data based on field.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_icq()	Retrieve the ICQ number of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_yim()	Retrieve the Yahoo! IM name of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_msn()	Retrieve the MSN address of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_aim()	Retrieve the AIM address of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_author_name()	Retrieve the specified author’s preferred display name.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_url()	Retrieve the URL to the home page of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_ID()	Retrieve the ID of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_description()	Retrieve the description of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_login()	Retrieve the login name of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_firstname()	Retrieve the first name of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_lastname()	Retrieve the last name of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_nickname()	Retrieve the nickname of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/deprecated.php:get_the_author_email()	Retrieve the email of the author of the current post.
wp-includes/post-template.php:wp_post_revision_title_expanded()	Retrieves formatted date timestamp of a revision (linked to that revisions’s page).
wp-includes/author-template.php:the_author_meta()	Outputs the field from the user’s DB object. Defaults to current post’s author.
wp-includes/author-template.php:get_the_author_link()	Retrieves either author’s link or author’s name.