inc/items/model/_item.class.php ( approx 451 )

	/**
	 * Template function: display assignee of item
	 *
	 * @param string
	 * @param string
	 * @param string Output format, see {@link format_to_output()}
	 */
	function assigned_to( $before = '', $after = '', $format = 'htmlbody' )
	{
		if( $this->get_assigned_User() )
		{
			echo $before;
			$this->assigned_User->preferred_name( $format );
			echo $after;
		}
	}

So just replace $Item->author() with $Item->assigned_to( 'before', 'after' ) and all should be well with the world

¥

So, in your example I would always have to assign the post to someone, even myself, correct?

I can do that, but my preference would be the if /else Topanga had in the original post.

<?php
if( $Item->get_assigned_User() )
{ // we have an assigned user
  $the_author = $Item->assigned_User;
}
else
{ // we don't have an assigned user
  $Item->get_creator_user();
  $the_author = $Item->creator_User;
}
echo 'before'.$the_author->get_preferred_name( 'htmlbody' ),'after';
?>

Completely untested ;)

¥

To paraphrase Dr. Leonard McCoy, I feel safer about your guesses than most other people's facts.

Thank You.