Escape / (Forward Slash) in SQL*Plus

Question

DB: Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.1.0.7.0 - 64bit Production
PL/SQL Release 11.1.0.7.0 - Production
CORE 11.1.0.7.0 Production
TNS for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.1.0.7.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 11.1.0.7.0 - Production
I am running following anonymous block and it's giving error. It's because SQL Plus is considering forward slash (/) in variable "a" assignment as block terminator. How to escape that? The use of following block is to store test case in Database. This is simple example real test cases are complex and involve print after /.
DECLARE
  A   varchar2(1024) := NULL;
BEGIN
  A := 'set serveroutput on;
BEGIN
  INSERT INTO table_name
       VALUES (5067);
END ;
    INSERT INTO x VALUES (A) ;
       COMMIT ;
END ;
/Output
SQL> DECLARE
  2    A   varchar2(1024) := NULL;
  3  BEGIN
  4    A := 'set serveroutput on;
  5  BEGIN
  6    INSERT INTO table_name
  7         VALUES (5067);
  8  END ;
  9  /
ERROR:
ORA-01756: quoted string not properly terminated
SQL>
SQL> ' ;
SP2-0042: unknown command "' " - rest of line ignored.
SQL>     INSERT INTO x VALUES (A) ;
    INSERT INTO x VALUES (A)
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-00984: column not allowed here
SQL>
SQL>        COMMIT ;
Commit complete.
SQL> END ;
SP2-0042: unknown command "END " - rest of line ignored.
SQL> /
Commit complete.
SQL> Running same block from Toad works fine.
Please help!
Thank You!
Arpit

Answer 1

Welcome to the forums!
You may need to escape the / character. The default escape character is \
SQL > DECLARE
  2          A VARCHAR2(1024);
  3  BEGIN
  4          A := '
  5                  BEGIN
  6                          INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (5067);
  7                  END ;
  8                  /
ERROR:
ORA-01756: quoted string not properly terminated
SQL >
SQL > ' ;
SP2-0042: unknown command "' " - rest of line ignored.
SQL > END;
SP2-0042: unknown command "END" - rest of line ignored.
SQL > /
ERROR:
ORA-01756: quoted string not properly terminated
SQL >
SQL >
SQL > DECLARE
  2          A VARCHAR2(1024);
  3  BEGIN
  4          A := '
  5                  BEGIN
  6                          INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (5067);
  7                  END ;
  8                  \/
  9
10  ' ;
11  END;
12  /
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.
        Hope this helps!
Edited by: Centinul on Jan 28, 2011 1:02 PM