How Can I Prevent SQL*Plus from Prompting for Ampersand Values in My Scripts?

*Ignore ampersands** in SQL scripts running in SQLPlus

When executing a SQL script from SQL*Plus that contains an ampersand (&), you may encounter a prompt to replace a value for a string that begins with an ampersand. This behavior can be particularly troublesome for scripts that contain comments or code that actually uses the ampersand symbol.

Solution:

To prevent SQL*Plus from prompting for parameter substitution, follow these steps:

1. Set Define mode to off:

   Before executing the script, enter the following command:

   <code class="language-sql">set define off</code>

   This disables the default behavior of SQL*Plus interpreting the ampersand as a variable substitution flag.

2. Make sure the ampersand is at the end of the line:

   If you do not want to disable define mode for other reasons, you can avoid the prompt by placing the ampersand at the end of the string:

   <code class="language-sql">'StackOverflow & ' || ' you'</code>

   In this example, the ampersand is at the end of the first string, preventing SQL*Plus from interpreting it as a substitution parameter.

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