--- wordpress/wp-includes/template-functions-category.php	Thu Jan 27 17:28:21 2005
+++ /usr/local/www/data/wp/wp-includes/template-functions-category.php	Sat Jan 29 01:56:18 2005
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     return $catlink;
 }
 
-function the_category($separator = '', $parents='') {
+function the_category($separator = '', $parents='', $echo = true) {
     $categories = get_the_category();
     if (empty($categories)) {
         _e('Uncategorized');
@@ -98,7 +98,11 @@
             ++$i;
         }
     }
-    echo apply_filters('the_category', $thelist);
+    $catlist = apply_filters('the_category', $thelist);
+	if ($echo)
+		echo $catlist;
+	else
+		return $catlist;
 }
 
 function get_the_category_by_ID($cat_ID) {
@@ -413,4 +417,4 @@
 	else
 		return false;
 }
-?>
\ No newline at end of file
+?>