If exists display php link?

I'm trying to get specific links to show if the form feilds have been filled in, this is a part of wordpress using a function to get social network links to display only problem is they show even if they are empty, the form if not linked gives a link back to the page its self.

<a title="Twitter" class="grey" href="<?php echo the_author_meta('twitter'); ?>">Twitter</a>,  
<a title="Facebook" class="grey" href="<?php echo the_author_meta('facebook'); ?>">Facebook</a>, 
<a title="Digg" class="grey" href="<?php echo the_author_meta('digg'); ?>">Digg</a>, 
<a title="Flicker" class="grey" href="<?php echo the_author_meta('flicker'); ?>">Flicker</a>, 
<a title="LinkedIn" class="grey" href="<?php echo the_author_meta('linkedIn'); ?>">LinkedIn</a>

Code (markup):

I'm not much of php coder so trying to over write the <?php echo the_author_meta('twitter'); ?> part is giving me errors and not working.

 

You can use

[LEFT][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Consolas]if(isset($_POST['your 'name' value of the field']))[/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

Code (markup):

That will determine if the field has been submitted.

 

if(empty($_POST['postname']))
{
//code
}

 

Would need to be :

if(!empty($_POST['postname']))
{
//code
}

Code (markup):

 

If these are set via the admin panel:

<?PHP if(the_author_meta('twitter') != "") { echo the_author_meta('twitter'); } <?>

PHP:

Otherwise the other solutions will work.
The only issue is, this will not check to see if they are valid URL's

 

<?PHP if(the_author_meta('twitter')) { echo the_author_meta('twitter'); } ?>

same like yours but better

 

I've tried that but when making it a link it still comes up with a link to the page "empty field"

 

can we see more code, like the_author_meta function?

 

Here it is.

<?php
add_action('show_user_profile', 'wpsplash_extraProfileFields');
add_action('edit_user_profile', 'wpsplash_extraProfileFields');
add_action('personal_options_update', 'wpsplash_saveExtraProfileFields');
add_action('edit_user_profile_update', 'wpsplash_saveExtraProfileFields');

function wpsplash_saveExtraProfileFields($userID) {

	if (!current_user_can('edit_user', $userID)) {
		return false;
	}

	update_usermeta($userID, 'twitter', $_POST['twitter']);
	update_usermeta($userID, 'facebook', $_POST['facebook']);
	update_usermeta($userID, 'linkedin', $_POST['linkedin']);
	update_usermeta($userID, 'digg', $_POST['digg']);
	update_usermeta($userID, 'flickr', $_POST['flickr']);
}

function wpsplash_extraProfileFields($user)
{
?>

Code (markup):

 

<?PHP 
if(the_author_meta('twitter') != "") { 
echo the_author_meta('twitter');
 } else {
echo "#";
} <?>

PHP:

at least this way, it will not link out, it will look for an anchor