Pass substitution variable to nested script - oracle

Question

I have a situation where I have a number of scripts that I need to run consecutively under the one connection. Some of the scripts require human input at runtime. The way I have organised this is that I have a Windows batch file which prompts the user for the required parameters. That batch file then passes the acquired parameter values to the SQL script.
The problem is that the variable values aren't getting to the nested script. If I bypass the intermediate script it works fine. It seems as though the problem is in proxying the values to the second.
See below for a compelte test case. In my example I am only calling one nested Script (Script1.sql). However, in a real world scenario I would potentially have multiple of these scripts.
Create Table
CREATE TABLE TEST_TABLE
(
TEST_ID NUMBER,
CREATED_BY VARCHAR2(100 CHAR)
)
LOGGING
NOCOMPRESS
NOCACHE
RESULT_CACHE (MODE DEFAULT)
NOPARALLEL
MONITORING;
SET DEFINE OFF;
Insert into TEST_TABLE
(TEST_ID, CREATED_BY)
Values
(1, 'FirstUser');
Insert into TEST_TABLE
(TEST_ID, CREATED_BY)
Values
(2, 'SecondUser');
Insert into TEST_TABLE
(TEST_ID, CREATED_BY)
Values
(3, 'ThirdUser');
COMMIT;
Windows Batch File (TEST_BAT.bat)
:begin
#ECHO oFF
cls
set /p SID=DB_SID:
set /p USER=USER:
set /p USERPASS=USER PASS:
set /p NEW_USER_NAME=NEW USER NAME:
ECHO %SID%
ECHO %USER%
sqlplus %USER%/%USERPASS%#%SID% #TEST_SCRIPTS.sql %NEW_USER_NAME%
ECHO.
Master SQL Script (TEST_SCRIPTS.sql)
SET PAGESIZE 100
SET DEFINE OFF
SET SCAN OFF
SET FEEDBACK ON
SPOOL INSTALL_LOG.txt
#'Script1.sql' &1
SET FEEDBACK OFF
Nested Script 1 (Script1.sql)
SET PAGESIZE 100
SET DEFINE OFF
SET SCAN OFF
SET FEEDBACK ON
UPDATE TEST_TABLE SET CREATED_BY='&1';
COMMIT;
So, in summary - what am I doing wrong in getting the substitution parameter to the nested Script

Answer 1

I'm not entirely sure from your post whether the problem was that the script prompts for &1 to be input, or whether the value &1 is being written for CREATED_BY instead of the provided command-line arg.
If the latter, this problem may be related to using SET DEFINE OFF prior to accessing the arg rather than the structure of the scripts themselves. (By the way SET SCAN is obsolete).
Using your example table and scripts unaltered, I get the below (with sql-plus 12.2):
sqlplus myuser/mypass#mydatabase #TEST_SCRIPTS.sql VOLTRON
SQL*Plus: Release 12.2.0.1.0 Production on Wed May 31 12:58:46 2017
3 rows updated.
Commit complete.
SELECT * FROM TEST_TABLE;
TEST_ID CREATED_BY
1 &1
2 &1
3 &1
But, if one drops the SET DEFINE OFF (and SET SCAN OFF), the substitutions take place, as below:
sqlplus myuser/mypass#mydatabase #TEST_SCRIPTS.sql VOLTRON
SQL*Plus: Release 12.2.0.1.0 Production on Wed May 31 13:11:53 2017
old 1: UPDATE TEST_TABLE SET CREATED_BY='&1'
new 1: UPDATE TEST_TABLE SET CREATED_BY='VOLTRON'
3 rows updated.
Commit complete.
Now the replacement has been passed through into the inner script.
SELECT * FROM TEST_TABLE;
TEST_ID CREATED_BY
1 VOLTRON
2 VOLTRON
3 VOLTRON