Question : check if table exists

I am using the DBI way of connecting to a mysql database, and want to check if a table exists

the code right now is: (sorry it's a lot)

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use CGI;
use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);
my $q = new CGI;
print $q->header();

use DBI;

$add = $q->param("add");

$username = lc($q->param("username"));
$password = $q->param("password");
$retypePassword = $q->param("retypepassword");
$name = $q->param("name");
$email = $q->param("email");
$health = "100";
$totalHealth = "100";
$weapon = "Dagger";
$weaponFP = "15";
$sWeapon = "LaserGun";
$sWeaponFP = "20";
$sPoints = "2";
$experience = "0";
$level = "1";
$gold = "10";
$avatar = $q->param("avatar");

if (!$add) { start(); }else{ add(); }

sub start() {

print "

  Username

  Real Name

  Email

  Password

  Retype Password

  Avatar

 
 

";

} #End start();

sub add() {

# The connect is fairly specific to the DBMS
# you are connecting to.  This example is mysql.
#
#       server machine (host)----------------+
#                                            |
#                      database----+         |
#                                  |         |
#                                  V         V
my $db = DBI->connect('DBI:mysql:members:localhost',
                   'rpg',  # user name
                   'admin',  # password
                   { RaiseError => 1});

if (!$username) {
  print "username blank
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if (!$name) {
  print "name blank
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if (!$email) {
  print "email blank
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if (!$password) {
  print "password blank
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if (!$retypePassword) {
  print "retype password please
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if ($password ne $retypePassword) {
  print "passwords don't match
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}
if (!$avatar) {
  print "avatar blank
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}

##########################
##########################
##########################i need this to work, check to see if it is already there, right now it does not work###########

my $sql = "select ID from $username";
my $con = $db->prepare($sql);
if ($con->execute) {
  print "username: $username is taken
\n";
  $bad = "true";
}

##########################
##########################
##########################

if ($bad) { exit(); }

my $sql = "CREATE TABLE `$username` (`ID` SMALLINT(6) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY, `password` TEXT NOT NULL, `name` TEXT NOT NULL, `email` TEXT NOT NULL, `health` INT(3) NOT NULL, `totalHealth` INT(3) NOT NULL, `weapon` TEXT NOT NULL, `weaponFP` INT(3) NOT NULL, `sWeapon` TEXT NOT NULL, `sWeaponFP` INT(3) NOT NULL, `sPoints` INT(2) NOT NULL, `experience` INT(5) NOT NULL, `level` INT(1) NOT NULL, `gold` INT(10) NOT NULL, `avatar` TEXT NOT NULL)";
my $con = $db->prepare($sql);
$con->execute;

my $sql = "insert into $username values ('','$password','$name','$email','$health','$totalHealth','$weapon','$weaponFP','$sWeapon','$sWeaponFP','$sPoints','$experience','$level','$gold','$avatar')";
my $con = $db->prepare($sql);
$con->execute;

$con->finish;
$db->disconnect;

print "
back>
mysql.cgi</a>
";

} #End add();

Answer : check if table exists

let me write it my way, ok ? ;-)
You can translate it if you want 8-)

$connect=mysql_connect('localhost','root','yourpassword') or die('could not connect');
mysql_select_db('testdb',$connect) or die('could not select DB');
$query="SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $username";
$result=mysql_query($query,$connect); // don't do this : or die("bad query '$query' : ".mysql_error());
if ($result) { // query executed ok : table exists
  echo "table $username does indeed exist.
";
} else { // error this invalid query thus non-existent table ;-)
  echo "table $username does NOT exist.
";
} // if result
?>