%& -jobname=output
documentclass{book}

usepackage{tikz,pgfplots}
usetikzlibrary{external}
tikzset{external/only named=true}
pgfplotsset{compat=newest}

tikzexternalize

begin{document}

begin{figure}[h]
  tikzsetnextfilename{sample_tikz}
  begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.50]
    begin{axis}addplot {x^3};end{axis}
  end{tikzpicture}
  caption{Sample tikz picture.}
end{figure}

end{document}

===== 'mode=convert with system call': Invoking 'pdflatex -shell-escape -halt-o
n-error -interaction=batchmode -jobname "sample_tikz" "deftikzexternalrealjob
{output}input{output}"' ========

! Package tikz Error: Sorry, the system call 'pdflatex -shell-escape -halt-on-e
rror -interaction=batchmode -jobname "sample_tikz" "deftikzexternalrealjob{ou
tput}input{output}"' did NOT result in a usable output file 'sample_tikz' (exp
ected one of .pdf:.jpg:.jpeg:.png:).

pdflatex tikzexternalcheckshellescape -halt-on-error -interaction=batchmode -jobname "image" "texsource"

stringdefstringtikzexternalrealjob{tikzexternal@realjob}stringinput{tikzexternal@realjob}

deftikzexternalrealjob{output}input{output}

deftikzexternalrealjob{output}input{main}

%& -jobname=output -recorder
documentclass{book}

usepackage{tikz,pgfplots}
usetikzlibrary{external}
tikzset{external/only named=true}
pgfplotsset{compat=newest}

input{externalize-hack.tex} % <---- THIS WAS ADDED

tikzexternalize

begin{document}

begin{figure}[h]
  tikzsetnextfilename{sample_tikz}
  begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.50]
    begin{axis}addplot {x^3};end{axis}
  end{tikzpicture}
  caption{Sample tikz picture.}
end{figure}

end{document}

usepackage{currfile-abspath}
getmainfile

usepackage{xpatch}

makeatletter

AtEndDocument{%
  newwritemaindeffile%
  immediateopenoutmaindeffile=jobname.maindef%
  immediatewritemaindeffile{%
    noexpandifcsname mymainfilenoexpandendcsnamenoexpandelse%
      noexpandgdefnoexpandmymainfile{mymainfile}%
    noexpandfi%
  }%
  immediatecloseoutmaindeffile%
}

@input{jobname.maindef}

ifcsname mymainfileendcsname%
  ifxmymainfile@empty%
    % Make a second attempt at extracting the real file name
    % (necessary because currfile needs two runs on MiKTeX..)
    filename@parse{themainfile}%
    letmymainfilefilename@base%
    ifxmymainfile@empty%
      % If still empty, fallback to default behavior
      defmymainfile{tikzexternal@realjob}%
    fi%
  fi%
else%
  % First attempt at extracting real file name
  filename@parse{themainfile}%
  letmymainfilefilename@base%
fi%

xpatchcmd{tikzexternal@assemble@systemcall}%
  {%
    edeftexsource{%
      stringdefstringtikzexternalrealjob{tikzexternal@realjob}%
      stringinput{tikzexternal@realjob}%
    }%
  }%
  {%
    edeftexsource{%
      stringdefstringtikzexternalrealjob{tikzexternal@realjob}%
      stringdefstringmymainfile{mymainfile}%
      stringinput{mymainfile}%
    }%
  }%
  {}
  {}

letold@tikzexternalize@opt@withnametikzexternalize@opt@withname%
deftikzexternalize@opt@withname[#1]#2{%
  % Suppress externalization as long as mymainfile is empty
  % (This will only be the case the one or two first compilation runs!)
  ifxmymainfile@emptyelse%
    old@tikzexternalize@opt@withname[#1]{#2}%
  fi%
}

makeatother