wp-cli · dilipom13 · Mar 21, 2026 · Mar 21, 2026 · Mar 21, 2026 · Mar 28, 2026
@@ -148,6 +148,13 @@ Feature: Create shortcuts to specific WordPress installs
       {"@all":"Run command against every registered alias.","@foo":{"path":"{TEST_DIR}/foo"}}
       """
 
+    When I run `wp cli alias list --format=plaintext`
+    Then STDOUT should match /^array \s*\(/
+    And STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      '@foo' =>
+      """
+
     When I run `wp cli aliases --format=json`
     Then STDOUT should be JSON containing:
       """

@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ Feature: `wp cli` tasks
     When I run `wp cli has-command test-command`
     Then the return code should be 0
 
+  Scenario: param-dump accepts plaintext as an alias for var_export
+    Given a WP installation
+
+    When I run `wp cli param-dump --format=plaintext`
+    Then STDOUT should match /^array \s*\(/
+    And STDERR should be empty
+    And the return code should be 0
+
   Scenario: Dump the list of global parameters with values
     Given a WP installation
 

@@ -77,6 +77,63 @@ Feature: Format output
       slug: foo
       """
 
+  Scenario: Format output as var_export or plaintext
+    Given an empty directory
+    And a output-export.php file:
+      """
+      <?php
+      /**
+       * Output data as var_export or plaintext
+       *
+       * <type>
+       * : Type of output.
+       *
+       * [--format=<format>]
+       * : Output format.
+       * ---
+       * default: var_export
+       * options:
+       *   - var_export
+       *   - plaintext
+       * ---
+       *
+       * @when before_wp_load
+       */
+      $output_export = function( $args, $assoc_args ) {
+          $items = array(
+              array(
+                  'label'    => 'Foo',
+                  'slug'     => 'foo',
+              ),
+              array(
+                  'label'    => 'Bar',
+                  'slug'     => 'bar',
+              ),
+          );
+          $format_args = array(
+              'format' => \WP_CLI\Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format', 'var_export' ),
+              'fields' => array( 'label', 'slug' ),
+          );
+          $formatter = new \WP_CLI\Formatter( $format_args );
+          $formatter->display_items( $items );
+      };
+      WP_CLI::add_command( 'exportfmt', $output_export );
+      """
+
+    When I run `wp --require=output-export.php exportfmt all --format=var_export`
+    Then STDOUT should match /^array \s*\(/
+    And STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      'label' => 'Foo',
+      """
+
+    When I run `wp --require=output-export.php exportfmt all --format=plaintext`
+    Then STDOUT should match /^array \s*\(/
+    And STDOUT should contain:
+      """
+      'slug' => 'bar',
+      """
+
   Scenario: Format data in RTL language
     Given an empty directory
     And a file.php file:

@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public function display_items( $items, $ascii_pre_colorized = false ) {
 				$items = iterator_to_array( $items );
 			}
 
-			if ( in_array( $this->args['format'], [ 'csv', 'json', 'table', 'yaml' ], true ) ) {
+			if ( in_array( $this->args['format'], [ 'csv', 'json', 'table', 'yaml', 'var_export', 'plaintext' ], true ) ) {
 				// Validate fields exist in at least one item
 				if ( ! empty( $this->args['fields'] ) ) {
 					$this->validate_fields( $items );
@@ -231,6 +231,15 @@ private function format( $items, $ascii_pre_colorized = false ): void {
 				}
 				break;
 
+			case 'var_export':
+			case 'plaintext':
+				$out = [];
+				foreach ( $items as $item ) {
+					$out[] = Utils\pick_fields( $item, $fields );
+				}
+				echo var_export( $out, true );
+				break;
+
 			default:
 				WP_CLI::error( 'Invalid format: ' . $this->args['format'] );
 		}
@@ -417,6 +426,8 @@ private function show_multiple_fields( $data, $format, $ascii_pre_colorized = fa
 
 			case 'yaml':
 			case 'json':
+			case 'var_export':
+			case 'plaintext':
 				WP_CLI::print_value(
 					$ordered_data,
 					[

@@ -1181,24 +1181,51 @@ public static function read_value( $raw_value, $assoc_args = [] ) {
 	 * @param array $assoc_args Arguments passed to the command, determining format.
 	 */
 	public static function print_value( $value, $assoc_args = [] ) {
-		$_value = '';
-		if ( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) === 'json' ) {
-			$_value = json_encode( $value );
-		} elseif ( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) === 'yaml' ) {
+		$format = Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' );
+		if ( 'json' === $format ) {
+			$encoded = json_encode( $value );
+			$output  = false === $encoded ? '' : $encoded;
+		} elseif ( 'yaml' === $format ) {
 			/**
 			 * @var array $value
 			 */
-			$_value = Spyc::YAMLDump( $value, 2, 0 );
+			$output = Spyc::YAMLDump( $value, 2, 0 );
+		} elseif ( in_array( $format, [ 'var_export', 'plaintext' ], true ) ) {
+			if ( is_array( $value ) || is_object( $value ) ) {
+				$output = var_export( $value, true );
+			} else {
+				$output = self::scalar_to_print_string( $value );
+			}
 		} elseif ( is_array( $value ) || is_object( $value ) ) {
-			$_value = var_export( $value, true );
+			$output = var_export( $value, true );
 		} else {
-			/**
-			 * @var string|int $_value
-			 */
-			$_value = $value;
+			$output = self::scalar_to_print_string( $value );
+		}
+
+		echo $output . "\n";
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * String for print_value when the value is not JSON/YAML/var_export(array|object).
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $value Value to stringify.
+	 * @return string
+	 */
+	private static function scalar_to_print_string( $value ): string {
+		if ( is_string( $value ) ) {
+			return $value;
+		}
+		if ( is_int( $value ) || is_float( $value ) ) {
+			return (string) $value;
+		}
+		if ( is_bool( $value ) ) {
+			return $value ? '1' : '';
+		}
+		if ( null === $value ) {
+			return '';
 		}
 
-		echo $_value . "\n";
+		return var_export( $value, true );
 	}
 
 	/**

@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class CLI_Alias_Command extends WP_CLI_Command {
 	 *   - yaml
 	 *   - json
 	 *   - var_export
+	 *   - 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 var_export format (`plaintext` is an alias for `var_export`).
 	 *
 	 * ## OPTIONS
 	 *
@@ -784,13 +784,15 @@ 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 +823,7 @@ public function param_dump( $_, $assoc_args ) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ( 'var_export' === Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) {
+		if ( in_array( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ), [ 'var_export', 'plaintext' ], true ) ) {
 			var_export( $spec );
 		} else {
 			echo json_encode( $spec );

@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ function wp_version_compare( $since, $operator ) {
  * @access public
  * @category Output
  *
- * @param string       $format Format to use: 'table', 'json', 'csv', 'yaml', 'ids', 'count'.
+ * @param string       $format Format to use: 'table', 'json', 'csv', 'yaml', 'ids', 'count', 'var_export', 'plaintext'.
  * @param array<mixed> $items  An array of items to output.
  * @param array<string>|string $fields Named fields for each item of data. Can be array or comma-separated list.
  */