Where is the `authors` field used (and was there ever an `author` field?)

[szabgab]

Question

As I analyzed several public mdbooks I found a few books with a field called author containing a string. I wonder, was there a field like that earlier?

Also I don't see where mdbook uses the authors field. Is it used?
Maybe its content should be added to the generated html file as a comment or in the header of the html page? <meta name="author" content="John Doe">

Version

[ehuss]

In the past there was some incorrect documentation which led to the inconsistency, see #1804.

I don't think it has ever been used for anything, but I'm uncertain about plugins/renderers.

[szabgab]

Thanks. Then I'll send PRs to those project to change the field to authors.