@@ -1182,14 +1182,22 @@ public static function read_value( $raw_value, $assoc_args = [] ) {
 	 */
 	public static function print_value( $value, $assoc_args = [] ) {
 		$_value = '';
-		if ( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) === 'json' ) {
+		$format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );
+
+		// Support deprecated 'var_export' format name
+		if ( 'var_export' === $format ) {
+			WP_CLI::warning( "The 'var_export' format is deprecated. Please use 'plaintext' instead." );
+			$format = 'plaintext';
+		}
+
+		if ( 'json' === $format ) {
 			$_value = json_encode( $value );
-		} elseif ( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) === 'yaml' ) {
+		} elseif ( 'yaml' === $format ) {
 			/**
 			 * @var array $value
 			 */
 			$_value = Spyc::YAMLDump( $value, 2, 0 );
-		} elseif ( is_array( $value ) || is_object( $value ) ) {
+		} elseif ( 'plaintext' === $format || ( is_array( $value ) || is_object( $value ) ) ) {
 			$_value = var_export( $value, true );
 		} else {
 			/**
 
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ class CLI_Alias_Command extends WP_CLI_Command {
 	 * options:
 	 *   - yaml
 	 *   - json
-	 *   - var_export
+	 *   - plaintext
+	 *   - var_export (deprecated, use plaintext)
 	 * ---
 	 *
 	 * [--raw]
 
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Dumps the list of global parameters, as JSON or in var_export format.
+	 * Dumps the list of global parameters, as JSON or in plaintext format.
 	 *
 	 * ## OPTIONS
 	 *
@@ -783,14 +783,14 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {
 	 * ---
 	 * default: json
 	 * options:
-	 *   - var_export
+	 *   - plaintext
 	 *   - json
 	 * ---
 	 *
 	 * ## EXAMPLES
 	 *
 	 *     # Dump the list of global parameters.
-	 *     $ wp cli param-dump --format=var_export
+	 *     $ wp cli param-dump --format=plaintext
 	 *     array (
 	 *       'path' =>
 	 *       array (
@@ -821,7 +821,13 @@ public function param_dump( $_, $assoc_args ) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ( 'var_export' === Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) {
+		$format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );
+
+		// Support both 'plaintext' and deprecated 'var_export' format names.
+		if ( 'plaintext' === $format || 'var_export' === $format ) {
+			if ( 'var_export' === $format ) {
+				WP_CLI::warning( "The 'var_export' format is deprecated. Please use 'plaintext' instead." );
+			}
 			var_export( $spec );
 		} else {
 			echo json_encode( $spec );
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {`
`771`	`771`	`}`
`772`	`772`
`773`	`773`	`/**`
`774`		`- * Dumps the list of global parameters, as JSON or in var_export format.`
	`774`	`+ * Dumps the list of global parameters, as JSON or in plaintext format.`
`775`	`775`	`*`
`776`	`776`	`* ## OPTIONS`
`777`	`777`	`*`
`@@ -783,14 +783,14 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {`
`783`	`783`	`* ---`
`784`	`784`	`* default: json`
`785`	`785`	`* options:`
`786`		`- * - var_export`
	`786`	`+ * - plaintext`
`787`	`787`	`* - json`
`788`	`788`	`* ---`
`789`	`789`	`*`
`790`	`790`	`* ## EXAMPLES`
`791`	`791`	`*`
`792`	`792`	`* # Dump the list of global parameters.`
`793`		`- * $ wp cli param-dump --format=var_export`
	`793`	`+ * $ wp cli param-dump --format=plaintext`
`794`	`794`	`* array (`
`795`	`795`	`* 'path' =>`
`796`	`796`	`* array (`
`@@ -821,7 +821,13 @@ public function param_dump( $_, $assoc_args ) {`
`821`	`821`	`}`
`822`	`822`	`}`
`823`	`823`
`824`		`- if ( 'var_export' === Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) {`
	`824`	`+ $format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );`
	`825`	`+`
	`826`	`+ // Support both 'plaintext' and deprecated 'var_export' format names.`
	`827`	`+ if ( 'plaintext' === $format \|\| 'var_export' === $format ) {`
	`828`	`+ if ( 'var_export' === $format ) {`
	`829`	`+ WP_CLI::warning( "The 'var_export' format is deprecated. Please use 'plaintext' instead." );`
	`830`	`+ }`
`825`	`831`	`var_export( $spec );`
`826`	`832`	`} else {`
`827`	`833`	`echo json_encode( $spec );`