Execute commands to output window using powershell - powershell

Question

I am creating a powershell script to change the sybase database account password. I am using isql.exe to change the password. Below are the steps I am trying to automate:
1) isql.exe -SServerName -UUserAccount -PPassword [Run this command and it should log you in with user account]
2) At this point it is waiting for you to run this command "sp_password 'oldPassword', 'newPassword'" [keyboard Enter]
3) GO [Keyboard Enter]
With the below script I built I am able to login, but unable to execute steps 2 and 3. I see that the screen is waiting for the input Step 2 and Step 3, but how should I write to it?
I am new to powershell, but I tried using Write-Output, Write-Host, Invoke-Expression, Invoke-Command for Step 2 and it did not work
$exe=$args[0] #argument which contains the path to isql.exe
$server=$args[1] #argument which contains server name
$user=$args[2] #argument which contains user account
$oldPassword=$args[3] #argument which contains current password
$newPassword=$args[4] #argument which contains new password
$severPrefix= '-S'
$userPrefix= '-U'
$passwordPrefix='-P'
$scriptPrefix='-E'
$spPasswordCmd= 'sp_password'+' '+ $oldPassword +','+ $newPassword
$serverArg = $severPrefix + $server
$userArg= $userPrefix + $user
$passwordArg= $passwordPrefix + $oldPassword
#Step 1- isql.exe -SserverName -UuserAcount -PoldPassword
&$exe $serverArg $userArg $passwordArg
#Step 2 - After login, execute "sp_password 'oldPassword', 'newPassword'"
#&$spPasswordCmd
#Step 3- Go
Read-Host -Prompt "Press Enter to continue"

Answer 1

What went wrong:
By entering the first command you entered "inside" ISQL prompt.
The powershell script won't send ISQL specific commands (Steps 2 & 3) to that session.
It seems to me that you have two options:
1.
You need to open an ISQL session and send a block of commands to that session.
This is a link about connections on Sysbase but I cannot test the things in there.
2.
By reading the ISQL docs, it seems that you can pass a file with commands to the steps 1:
Read in an operating system file containing a query for execution by
isql: isql -U alma -Ppassword < input_file The file must include a
command terminator. The results appear on your terminal. Read in an
operating system file containing a query and direct the results to
another file: isql -U alma -Ppassword < input_file > output_file
I would spend my time here first. See that in there you can find a link with instructions on how to write the sysbase commands file.

Answer 2

After trying lot of combination, finally I was able to get it to work. Posting my script so that it could be helpful for others.
$exe=$args[0] #argument which contains the path to isql.exe
$server=$args[1] #argument which contains server name
$user=$args[2] #argument which contains user account
$currentPassword=$args[3] #argument which contains current password
$newPassword=$args[4] #argument which contains new password
$outputFilePath=$args[5] #argument which containes spPassword file script path
$spPasswordCmd = "sp_password `'$currentPassword`',`'$newPassword`'"
# Create file:
$spPasswordCmd | Set-Content "$outputFilePath"
# Append to file:
"GO" | Add-Content "$outputFilePath"
isql -S"$server" -U"$user" -P"$currentPassword" -i"$outputFilePath"
write-host "**** Password Change Complete *****"
Read-Host -Prompt "Press Enter to exit.!"

Answer 3

After you login to Sybase using isql.exe, you would need to get into the session of isql.exe to change the password by calling sp_password. In your code, you're are simply executing the login command. I dont think you're getting into the session of isql.exe
Take a look at the below link, I guess it might be useful and probably better way to change the database account password.
https://www.cdata.com/drivers/sybase/powershell/