             (setq path (match-string 1)
                   local-rev -1
                   last-change-rev -1
-                  author "?"))
+                  author (if (eq svn-file-mark 88) "" "?"))) ;clear author of svn:externals dirs
            (t
             (error "Unknown status line format")))
           (unless path (setq path "."))

  (define-key svn-status-mode-map (kbd "<down>") 'svn-status-next-line)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-map (kbd "<up>") 'svn-status-previous-line)
  (setq svn-status-mode-mark-map (make-sparse-keymap))
  (define-key svn-status-mode-map "*" svn-status-mode-mark-map)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-mark-map "!" 'svn-status-unset-all-usermarks)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-mark-map "?" 'svn-status-mark-unknown)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-mark-map "A" 'svn-status-mark-added)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-mark-map "M" 'svn-status-mark-modified)
  (define-key svn-status-mode-mark-map "u" 'svn-status-show-svn-diff-for-marked-files))
(when (not svn-status-mode-property-map)
  (setq svn-status-mode-property-map (make-sparse-keymap))
  (define-key svn-status-mode-property-map (kbd "l") 'svn-status-property-list)

  (let* ((st-info svn-status-info)
         (line-info (svn-status-get-line-information))
         (file-name (svn-status-line-info->filename line-info))
     (sub-file-regexp (concat "^" (regexp-quote
                       (file-name-as-directory file-name))))
         (newcursorpos-fname)
         (i-fname)
         (current-line svn-start-of-file-list-line-number))
