Is there a way to check if a table exists without selecting and checking values from it?
That is, I know I can go SELECT testcol FROM testtable and check the count of fields returned, but it seems there must be a more direct / elegant way to do it.
If you want to be correct, use INFORMATION_SCHEMA.
SELECT *
FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_schema = 'yourdb'
AND table_name = 'testtable'
LIMIT 1;
Alternatively, you can use SHOW TABLES
SHOW TABLES LIKE 'yourtable';
If there is a row in the resultset, table exists.
SELECT...FROM syntax...I was sort of looking for something like EXISTS testtable
information_schema? Is it always accessible? Does it require certain permission to be able to access this table?
SELECT count(*)
FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE (TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_db_name') AND (TABLE_NAME = 'name_of_table')
if you get a non-zero count, the table exists.
A performance comparison:
322ms: show tables like 'table201608';
691ms: select 1 from table201608 limit 1;
319ms: SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.TABLES WHERE (TABLE_SCHEMA = 'mydb') AND (TABLE_NAME = 'table201608');
Note if you're running this a lot -- like over many HTML requests in a short period -- the 2nd will be way faster since it'll be cached an average 200 ms or faster.
After reading all of the above, I prefer the following statement:
SELECT EXISTS(
SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_schema = 'db'
AND table_name = 'table'
);
It indicates exactly what you want to do and it actually returns a 'boolean'.
You can query the INFORMATION_SCHEMA tables system view:
SELECT table_name
FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_schema = 'databasename'
AND table_name = 'testtable';
If no rows returned, then the table doesn't exist.
Here is a table that is not a SELECT * FROM
SHOW TABLES FROM `db` LIKE 'tablename'; //zero rows = not exist
Got this from a database pro, here is what I was told:
select 1 from `tablename`; //avoids a function call
select * from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.tables where schema = 'db' and table = 'table' // slow. Field names not accurate
SHOW TABLES FROM `db` LIKE 'tablename'; //zero rows = does not exist
if [[ $(mysql --execute "SHOW TABLES FROM ${DB_NAME} LIKE '${DB_PREFIX}options';") -gt 0 ]]; then stackoverflow.com/a/69889338/1718491
Commented
Nov 8, 2021 at 20:25
tablename " add limit 1 so it doesnt return many rows
Rather than relying on errors, you can query INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES to see if the table exists. If there's a record, it exists. If there's no record, it doesn't exist.
This modified solution from above does not require explicit knowledge of the current database. It is then more flexible.
SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'yourtable'
AND TABLE_SCHEMA in (SELECT DATABASE());
show tables like 'table_name'
if this returns rows > 0 the table exists
If reading this after 2019, note that MySQL 5.7 added a table_exists procedure that will determine if a table exists, including TEMPORARY TABLES.
Usage: Sets @exist to one of '', 'BASE TABLE', 'VIEW', 'TEMPORARY'
CALL sys.table_exists('db1', 't3', @exists);
Reference:
https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/sys-table-exists.html
Just to add an extra way to do it, and depending on what you need it for you could use a handler for er_no_such_table error:1146 like this:
DELIMITER ;;
CREATE PROCEDURE `insert_in_my_table`(in my_var INT)
BEGIN
-- Error number for table not found
DECLARE CONTINUE HANDLER FOR 1146
BEGIN
-- table doesn't exists, do something...
CREATE TABLE my_table(n INT);
INSERT INTO my_table (n) values(my_var);
END;
-- table does exists, do something...
INSERT INTO my_table (n) values(my_var);
END ;;
DELIMITER ;
You can do something like below:
string strCheck = "SHOW TABLES LIKE \'tableName\'";
cmd = new MySqlCommand(strCheck, connection);
if (connection.State == ConnectionState.Closed)
{
connection.Open();
}
cmd.Prepare();
var reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();
if (reader.HasRows)
{
Console.WriteLine("Table Exist!");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Table does not Exist!");
}
Expanding this answer, one could further write a function that returns TRUE/FALSE based on whether or not a table exists:
CREATE FUNCTION fn_table_exists(dbName VARCHAR(255), tableName VARCHAR(255))
RETURNS BOOLEAN
BEGIN
DECLARE totalTablesCount INT DEFAULT (
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE (TABLE_SCHEMA COLLATE utf8_general_ci = dbName COLLATE utf8_general_ci)
AND (TABLE_NAME COLLATE utf8_general_ci = tableName COLLATE utf8_general_ci)
);
RETURN IF(
totalTablesCount > 0,
TRUE,
FALSE
);
END
;
SELECT fn_table_exists('development', 'user');
This compact method return 1 if exist 0 if not exist.
set @ret = 0;
SELECT 1 INTO @ret FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = DATABASE() AND TABLE_NAME = 'my_table';
SELECT @ret;
You can put in into a mysql function
DELIMITER $$
CREATE FUNCTION ExistTable (_tableName varchar(255))
RETURNS tinyint(4)
SQL SECURITY INVOKER
BEGIN
DECLARE _ret tinyint;
SET _ret = 0;
SELECT
1 INTO _ret
FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = DATABASE()
AND TABLE_NAME = _tablename LIMIT 1;
RETURN _ret;
END
$$
DELIMITER ;
and call it
Select ExistTable('my_table');
return 1 if exist 0 if not exist.
None of the options except SELECT doesn't allow database name as used in SELECT, so I wrote this:
SELECT COUNT(*) AS cnt FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE CONCAT(table_schema,".",table_name)="db_name.table_name";
I use this in php.
private static function ifTableExists(string $database, string $table): bool
{
$query = DB::select("
SELECT
IF( EXISTS
(SELECT * FROM information_schema.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = '$database'
AND TABLE_NAME = '$table'
LIMIT 1),
1, 0)
AS if_exists
");
return $query[0]->if_exists == 1;
}
There are several issues to note with the answers here:
1) INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES does not include TEMPORARY tables.
2) Using any type of SHOW query, i.e. SHOW TABLES LIKE 'test_table', will force the return of a resultset to the client, which is undesired behavior for checking if a table exists server-side, from within a stored procedure that also returns a resultset.
3) As some users mentioned, you have to be careful with how you use SELECT 1 FROM test_table LIMIT 1.
If you do something like:
SET @table_exists = 0;
SET @table_exists = (SELECT 1 FROM test_table LIMIT 1);
You will not get the expected result if the table has zero rows.
Below is a stored procedure that will work for all tables (even TEMPORARY).
It can be used like:
SET @test_table = 'test_table';
SET @test_db = NULL;
SET @does_table_exist = NULL;
CALL DoesTableExist(@test_table, @test_db, @does_table_exist);
SELECT @does_table_exist;
The code:
/*
p_table_name is required
p_database_name is optional
if NULL is given for p_database_name, then it defaults to the currently selected database
p_does_table_exist
The @variable to save the result to
This procedure attempts to
SELECT NULL FROM `p_database_name`.`p_table_name` LIMIT 0;
If [SQLSTATE '42S02'] is raised, then
SET p_does_table_exist = 0
Else
SET p_does_table_exist = 1
Info on SQLSTATE '42S02' at:
https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/server-error-reference.html#error_er_no_such_table
*/
DELIMITER $$
DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS DoesTableExist
$$
CREATE PROCEDURE DoesTableExist (
IN p_table_name VARCHAR(64),
IN p_database_name VARCHAR(64),
OUT p_does_table_exist TINYINT(1) UNSIGNED
)
BEGIN
/* 793441 is used in this procedure for ensuring that user variables have unique names */
DECLARE EXIT HANDLER FOR SQLSTATE '42S02'
BEGIN
SET p_does_table_exist = 0
;
END
;
IF p_table_name IS NULL THEN
SIGNAL SQLSTATE '45000' SET MESSAGE_TEXT = 'DoesTableExist received NULL for p_table_name.';
END IF;
/* redirect resultset to a dummy variable */
SET @test_select_sql_793441 = CONCAT(
"SET @dummy_var_793441 = ("
" SELECT"
" NULL"
" FROM ",
IF(
p_database_name IS NULL,
"",
CONCAT(
"`",
REPLACE(p_database_name, "`", "``"),
"`."
)
),
"`",
REPLACE(p_table_name, "`", "``"),
"`"
" LIMIT 0"
")"
)
;
PREPARE _sql_statement FROM @test_select_sql_793441
;
SET @test_select_sql_793441 = NULL
;
EXECUTE _sql_statement
;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE _sql_statement
;
SET p_does_table_exist = 1
;
END
$$
DELIMITER ;
This has been my 'go-to' EXISTS procedure that checks both temp and normal tables. This procedure works in MySQL version 5.6 and above. The @DEBUG parameter is optional. The default schema is assumed, but can be concatenated to the table in the @s statement.
drop procedure if exists `prcDoesTableExist`;
delimiter #
CREATE PROCEDURE `prcDoesTableExist`(IN pin_Table varchar(100), OUT pout_TableExists BOOL)
BEGIN
DECLARE `boolTableExists` TINYINT(1) DEFAULT 1;
DECLARE CONTINUE HANDLER FOR 1243, SQLSTATE VALUE '42S02' SET `boolTableExists` := 0;
SET @s = concat('SELECT null FROM `', pin_Table, '` LIMIT 0 INTO @resultNm');
PREPARE stmt1 FROM @s;
EXECUTE stmt1;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt1;
set pout_TableExists = `boolTableExists`; -- Set output variable
IF @DEBUG then
select IF(`boolTableExists`
, CONCAT('TABLE `', pin_Table, '` exists: ', pout_TableExists)
, CONCAT('TABLE `', pin_Table, '` does not exist: ', pout_TableExists)
) as result;
END IF;
END #
delimiter ;
Here is the example call statement with @debug on:
set @DEBUG = true;
call prcDoesTableExist('tempTable', @tblExists);
select @tblExists as '@tblExists';
The variable @tblExists returns a boolean.
Before creating a TABLE, it is always advisable to check whether the table exists in SQL Server database or not.
USE [DB_NAME]
GO
IF OBJECT_ID('table_name', 'U') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
PRINT 'Table exists.'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
PRINT 'Table does not exist.'
END
Alternatively Using the sys.Objects to check whether a table exists in SQL Server or not.
USE [DB_NAME]
GO
IF EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM sys.Objects
WHERE Object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'table_name')
AND Type = N'U')
BEGIN
PRINT 'Table exists.'
END
ELSE
BEGIN
PRINT 'Table does not exist.'
END
The problem with CALL sys.table_exists() is you will need the right privileges.
Therefore after of you connect to your objective DB, you can run:
$db = 'database';
$Q = "SHOW TABLES WHERE Tables_in_{$db} LIKE 'table';";
The key benefits of this QUERY are:
