VB.net Checking if database exists before connecting to it - sql

Question

I found the following query in order to find out if a database table was created already or not:
if db_id('thedbName') is not null
--code mine :)
print 'db exists'
else
print 'nope'
Now I am wanting to use that same query within my VB.net application. This is the code I currently have elsewhere that connects to the database (that I am wanting to see if its there before doing all this):
Dim cn As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection("Data Source=DAVIDSDESKTOP;" & _
"Initial Catalog=thedbName;" & _
"Integrated Security=True;" & _
"Pooling=False")
Dim sql As String = "if db_id('thedbName') is not null " & vbCrLf & _
"Print() 'exists' " & vbCrLf & _
"else " & vbCrLf & _
"Print() 'nope'"
Dim cmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(sql, cn)
cmd.Connection.Open()
Dim blah As String = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
cmd.Connection.Close()
Of course the issue with this is that I have to know the database name first in order to connect to the database.
I then seem to be able to connect to the master database using this:
Dim cn As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection("Data Source=DAVIDSDESKTOP;" & _
"Integrated Security=True;" & _
"Pooling=False")
Dim sql As String = "if db_id('thedbName') is not null " & vbCrLf & _
"Print() 'exists' " & vbCrLf & _
"else " & vbCrLf & _
"Print() 'nope'"
Dim cmd As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(sql, cn)
cmd.Connection.Open()
Dim blah As String = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
cmd.Connection.Close()
But that query seems to throw an error on Dim blah As String = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery() of:
Additional information: Incorrect syntax near ')'.
So I'm not all sure what I am missing in order to correct the issue with the query?
Need to know how to have the query come back and say 'exists' or 'nope'

Answer 1

Change Print() to Print (remove the parentheses.)
Better, don't use Print at all, use select.
Dim sql As String = "if db_id('thedbName') is not null " & vbCrLf & _
"select 'exists' " & vbCrLf & _
"else " & vbCrLf & _
"select 'nope'"
Dim blah As String = CType(cmd.ExecuteScalar(), string)
ExecuteNonQuery returns the number of affected rows for updates and inserts. But what you are executing is a query.
ExecuteScalar returns the first column of the first row selected. The query above only returns one row with one value, so that's what it will return.

Answer 2

or do it like this
select * from sys.databases where [name] = 'thedbName'
if it returns a row, then the database exists, if not then it doesn't.
To check if a table exists within a database, use this
select * from sys.objects where [name] = 'theTableName' and type_desc = 'USER_TABLE'