selecting into unix variable

From a unix script I want to use SQLPLUS to select a sequence number into a variable, then run a script to select other data into other a work table, run several reports, and then delete data from the work tables for the sequence number. I've found a workaround, but is there a way to select directly into a unix variable?

i.e. (this is simplified)

#!/bin/ksh

sqlplus -s ${user}/${pw} <<SQLTEXT > /dev/null

    select seq.nextval

      into <unix var>
      from dual

runrep report_name ${user}/${pw} sequence=$sequence

sqlplus -s ${user}/${pw} <<SQLTEXT > /dev/null

   delete from table_name
     where sequence = ${sequence};
/

exit
SQLTEXT I'm not clear on what the syntax for the unix "sequence" variable would be. Received on Sat Oct 14 1995 - 00:00:00 CET