Why echoing a local variable inside the same funct

Question

This question already has an answer here:

• What is the difference between get_the_* and the_* template tags in wordpress? 2 answers

In the flowing Code :(see down)

I defined a local variable named post_author_nickname

Why I can't use it inside the same function as HTML echo?

I'm using the function directly instead of assigning it to variable

---

The Code

function head_scripts() {
    $options = get_option( 'ps_plugindev' );
    if ( isset( $options['twitter'] ) && !is_admin() ) {
            $post_id = get_queried_object_id();
            $post_author_id = get_post_field( 'post_author', $post_id );
              $post_author_nickname =  the_author_meta( 'nickname', $post_author_id );
            ?>
            <script type="text/javascript">
                function setT() {
                    var b = document.createElement('a');
                    b.classList += "twitter-share-button";
                    b.setAttribute("data-text",  "<?php echo $post_author_nickname ?>" );
                };
            </script>
        <?php
}

---

"< ? php echo $post_author_nickname; ? >"

Not working

"< ? php echo the_author_meta( 'nickname', $post_author_id ); ? > " 

Working

Edit 1 :

Thanks @mario for suggesting reading the question What is the difference between get_the_* and the_* template tags in wordpress? - Stack Overflow but I didn't understand what the answer? or how it is related

Edit 2 :

I checked

• What is the difference between get_the_* and the_* template tags in WordPress? - Stack Overflow

NOTE: I'm not familiar with php (10%) and only use it for wordpress my background is in c#

EDIT 3 :

After reading @mario suggested anser multible times I got it.

When Gaurav sugesited in his anser changing

$post_author_nickname =  the_author_meta( 'nickname', $post_author_id );

To

$post_author_nickname =  get_the_author_meta( 'nickname', $post_author_id );

I didn't note the deferent between the and get prefix to the function name'

Now I understand

Usually, I deleted the question if it is marked as duplicate.

I will leave this note if some one like me didn't get it.

thanks Gaurav and @mario

Answer 1

Use this function instead of the_author_meta.

get_the_author_meta()

https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_the_author_meta/