@@ -41,6 +41,19 @@ Feature: `wp cli` tasks
     And STDERR should be empty
     And the return code should be 0
 
+  Scenario: Dump the list of global parameters in plaintext format
+    Given a WP installation
+
+    # `plaintext` is an accepted alias of `var_export` for this command (see #4774),
+    # so it must emit the var_export representation, not JSON.
+    When I run `wp cli param-dump --format=plaintext`
+    Then STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      'path' =>
+      """
+    And STDERR should be empty
+    And the return code should be 0
+
   Scenario: Checking whether a global configuration parameter exists or not
     Given a WP installation
     And a custom-cmd.php file:
 
@@ -993,6 +993,7 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {
 	 * default: json
 	 * options:
 	 *   - var_export
+	 *   - plaintext
 	 *   - json
 	 * ---
 	 *
@@ -1034,7 +1035,11 @@ public function param_dump( $_, $assoc_args ) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ( 'var_export' === Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) {
+		// `plaintext` and `var_export` are the same format under two names; accept both
+		// so the format name is consistent with other commands. See
+		// https://github.com/wp-cli/wp-cli/issues/4774
+		$format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );
+		if ( 'var_export' === $format || 'plaintext' === $format ) {
 			var_export( $spec );
 		} else {
 			echo json_encode( $spec );
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -993,6 +993,7 @@ private function array_find( $arr, $callback ) {`
`993`	`993`	`* default: json`
`994`	`994`	`* options:`
`995`	`995`	`* - var_export`
	`996`	`+ * - plaintext`
`996`	`997`	`* - json`
`997`	`998`	`* ---`
`998`	`999`	`*`
`@@ -1034,7 +1035,11 @@ public function param_dump( $_, $assoc_args ) {`
`1034`	`1035`	`}`
`1035`	`1036`	`}`
`1036`	`1037`
`1037`		`- if ( 'var_export' === Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) {`
	`1038`	+ // `plaintext` and `var_export` are the same format under two names; accept both
	`1039`	`+ // so the format name is consistent with other commands. See`
	`1040`	`+ // https://github.com/wp-cli/wp-cli/issues/4774`
	`1041`	`+ $format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );`
	`1042`	`+ if ( 'var_export' === $format \|\| 'plaintext' === $format ) {`
`1038`	`1043`	`var_export( $spec );`
`1039`	`1044`	`} else {`
`1040`	`1045`	`echo json_encode( $spec );`