Batch Script Fails - Cannot output text to file without quotations, however quotation marks are not desired

Question

I am trying to run a batch script that writes out a bunch of text to a .sql file that gets run in a SQL Command window. I am trying to have my batch script output a line of text that says:

insert into TEST_TABLE (param1, param2) values ('JohnSmith','Test1');

My code below as is does not work, CMD just crashes immediately upon running the .bat file:

@echo off

(
echo insert into TEST_TABLE (param1, param2) values ('JohnSmith','Test1');

) > TEST.sql

pause

However, when I change it and add quotes:

@echo off

(
echo "insert into TEST_TABLE (param1, param2) values ('JohnSmith','Test1');"

) > TEST.sql

pause

When I do this, it outputs the file as expected with the line of text in the file, however it has the quotes which I cannot have in there because that will cause SQL command to fail.

Can anyone please help me understand how to get this script to output this specific text to a .sql file without the quotes?

Thanks

Answer 1

You have two options here. Use set /P command instead of echo to enclose the text in quotes (and show it with no quotes):

@echo off

< NUL (

set /P "=insert into TEST_TABLE (param1, param2) values ('JohnSmith','Test1');"
echo/

) > TEST.sql

pause

... or escape each right parentheses with a caret:

@echo off

(
echo insert into TEST_TABLE (param1, param2^) values ('JohnSmith','Test1'^);

) > TEST.sql

pause