Accept plaintext as alias for var_export format by dilipom13 · Pull Request #6286 · wp-cli/wp-cli

dilipom13 · 2026-03-21T15:12:44Z

Treat plaintext as an alias for var_export wherever that output format is used (per maintainer note).
Add Utils\is_var_export_format() and use it in param_dump, print_value, and Formatter.
Document plaintext in wp cli param-dump and wp cli alias list synopses.
Add Behat coverage and a small PHPUnit test for the helper.

Please review it.
Thanks, @schlessera, for the guidance.

github-actions · 2026-03-21T15:12:53Z

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gemini-code-assist · 2026-03-21T15:13:06Z

Summary of Changes

Hello, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request enhances WP-CLI's output formatting capabilities by introducing "plaintext" as a convenient alias for the "var_export" format. This change streamlines the user experience by providing a more intuitive option for developers who prefer a plain text representation of data that is still valid PHP. The implementation includes a new utility function for format detection, integration into core output mechanisms, updated command documentation, and comprehensive test coverage to ensure reliability.

Highlights

New Output Format Alias: Introduced "plaintext" as an alias for the "var_export" output format across WP-CLI commands, aligning with maintainer notes.
Helper Function: Added a new utility function, "Utils\is_var_export_format()", to consistently check for "var_export" or "plaintext" formats.
Core Integration: Integrated the new format alias and helper function into "WP_CLI\Formatter", "WP_CLI::print_value", and "CLI_Command::param_dump" for consistent behavior.
Documentation Updates: Updated documentation for "wp cli param-dump" and "wp cli alias list" to reflect the availability of the "plaintext" output format.
Test Coverage: Expanded test coverage with new Behat scenarios for "aliases", "cli", and "formatter" features, and a PHPUnit test for the "is_var_export_format" utility.

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Code Review

This pull request introduces plaintext as an alias for the var_export output format, enhancing user experience by providing a more intuitive format name. The changes are consistently applied across various commands (cli alias list, cli param-dump) and the Formatter class. A new utility function Utils\is_var_export_format() centralizes the logic, and the new functionality is well-covered by Behat and PHPUnit tests.

My review includes a couple of suggestions to improve code clarity and maintainability.

I am having trouble creating individual review comments. Click here to see my feedback.

php/class-wp-cli.php (1189-1190)

This new elseif block has the same implementation as the one that follows on lines 1191-1192. This creates redundancy. To improve maintainability, you could combine both conditions into a single block.

For example, you could replace lines 1189-1192 with:

} elseif ( Utils\is_var_export_format( Utils\get_flag_value( $assoc_args, 'format' ) ) || is_array( $value ) || is_object( $value ) ) {
    $_value = var_export( $value, true );
}

php/utils.php (494)

The type hint for $format is mixed, which is too general. Based on its usage with Utils\get_flag_value(), this parameter will typically be a string or null. Using a more specific type hint like @param string|null $format would improve code clarity and help static analysis tools.

 * @param string|null $format Format flag value from command arguments.

codecov · 2026-03-21T15:47:05Z

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 94.11765% with 2 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.

Files with missing lines	Patch %	Lines
php/WP_CLI/Formatter.php	90.00%	1 Missing ⚠️
php/class-wp-cli.php	95.65%	1 Missing ⚠️

📢 Thoughts on this report? Let us know!

swissspidy · 2026-03-21T15:49:56Z

No idea why there are so many test failures 🤔

dilipom13 · 2026-03-21T18:52:31Z

Hello @swissspidy, again, I updated from my side.
Please review it. as per your availability.

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR standardizes output-format naming by treating plaintext as an alias for var_export across WP-CLI surfaces that already support var_export, and updates command synopses + Behat coverage accordingly.

Changes:

Document plaintext as a supported --format option for wp cli param-dump and wp cli alias list.
Extend WP_CLI::print_value() and WP_CLI\Formatter to accept plaintext (and explicitly handle var_export as a format).
Add Behat scenarios verifying plaintext works for param-dump, alias list, and Formatter output.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 8 out of 8 changed files in this pull request and generated 1 comment.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
php/utils.php	Updates `format_items()` docblock to include `var_export`/`plaintext` formats.
php/commands/src/CLI_Command.php	Adds `plaintext` to `param-dump` synopsis and treats it as `var_export` in the implementation.
php/commands/src/CLI_Alias_Command.php	Adds `plaintext` to `wp cli alias list` format options documentation.
php/class-wp-cli.php	Updates `print_value()` to recognize `var_export`/`plaintext` explicitly and refactors scalar printing into a helper.
php/WP_CLI/Formatter.php	Adds `var_export`/`plaintext` format handling for item output and single-item field output.
features/formatter.feature	Adds scenario coverage for `--format=var_export` and `--format=plaintext` via `WP_CLI\Formatter`.
features/cli.feature	Adds scenario coverage for `wp cli param-dump --format=plaintext`.
features/aliases.feature	Adds scenario coverage for `wp cli alias list --format=plaintext`.

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Copilot · 2026-03-28T13:59:02Z

 			 */
-			$_value = Spyc::YAMLDump( $value, 2, 0 );
+			$output = Spyc::YAMLDump( $value, 2, 0 );
+		} elseif ( in_array( $format, [ 'var_export', 'plaintext' ], true ) ) {


The PR description mentions adding Utils\is_var_export_format() and using it in print_value(), but there is no such helper in the codebase and the format check is duplicated inline here. Consider adding the helper in WP_CLI\Utils (e.g., returning true for var_export/plaintext) and using it here (and in other updated call sites), or update the PR description if the helper was intentionally dropped.

dilipom13 · 2026-03-29T06:07:35Z

Hello @swissspidy One file is failing.
Any suggestions for me, from your side?

swissspidy · 2026-03-29T07:23:40Z

You can run composer phocbf to fix the formatting

dilipom13 · 2026-03-29T07:28:16Z

You can run composer phocbf to fix the formatting

Okay @swissspidy
Thank you so much for your reply.
Let me check this thing.

dilipom13 · 2026-04-26T07:32:09Z

Hello @swissspidy
This PR is done from my side, and composer phocbf, this command is working properly.

Please review it.
Thank you so much for your suggestion.

Accept plaintext as alias for var_export format

9cc7b27

dilipom13 requested a review from a team as a code owner March 21, 2026 15:12

github-actions Bot added command:cli Related to 'cli' command command:cli-alias Related to 'cli alias' command command:cli-param-dump Related to 'cli param-dump' command labels Mar 21, 2026

Merge branch 'main' into fix-4774-plaintext-var-export-alias

4e5921d

gemini-code-assist Bot reviewed Mar 21, 2026

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swissspidy reviewed Mar 21, 2026

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Comment thread php/utils.php Outdated

Accept plaintext as alias for var_export format

cfce02f

dilipom13 and others added 3 commits March 28, 2026 10:16

Merge branch 'main' into fix-4774-plaintext-var-export-alias

9e76f16

Fix param-dump plaintext option and print_value scalar BC

164b0d1

Fix param-dump plaintext option and print_value scalar BC

128d444

swissspidy requested a review from Copilot March 28, 2026 13:55

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of swissspidy March 28, 2026 13:55 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Mar 28, 2026

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dilipom13 added 3 commits March 28, 2026 20:21

Add PHPUnit coverage for print_value and Formatter var_export/plaintext

9600619

Add PHPUnit coverage for print_value and Formatter var_export/plaintext

2973b19

Add PHPUnit coverage for print_value and Formatter var_export/plaintext

cf9d3ac

dilipom13 added 4 commits March 29, 2026 14:02

Fix PHPCS in tests

b17b3ff

PHPCS: fix test file formatting

d78d7a3

PHPCS: fix test file formatting

625fb8e

PHPCS: fix test file formatting

502e2c1

swissspidy mentioned this pull request Apr 9, 2026

Standardize plaintext format name across CLI commands #6298

Open

dilipom13 and others added 3 commits April 21, 2026 22:35

Merge branch 'main' into fix-4774-plaintext-var-export-alias

7d7412d

Merge branch 'main' into fix-4774-plaintext-var-export-alias

1526207

Fix PHPCS formatting in Formatter tests

74b5a55

Provide feedback

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Accept plaintext as alias for var_export format#6286

Accept plaintext as alias for var_export format#6286
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php/class-wp-cli.php (1189-1190)

php/utils.php (494)

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