What's the problem this feature will solve?

The -r option ("report chars") in pytest currently has no corresponding long-form option. This is inconsistent with other CLI flags, which typically support both short and long forms (e.g., -q / --quiet, -v / --verbose). The lack of a --report-chars long form makes the CLI less discoverable and less self-documenting, especially for users who prefer explicit and descriptive long options.

Describe the solution you'd like

Add a long-form CLI option equivalent to -r, such as:

--report-chars

This flag would behave exactly like -r and accept the same character sets.

Example:

pytest --report-chars=fE
pytest --report-chars=a

This makes pytest's CLI more consistent and easier to understand.

Alternative Solutions

Possible workarounds include:

• Using only the short-form -r option (current state).
• Asking users to use a wrapper script or shell alias.

None address the core inconsistency in pytest's CLI.

Additional context