Check if access table exists - sql

Question

I want to log web site visits' IP, datetime, client and refferer data to access database but I'm planning to log every days log data in separate tables in example logs for 06.06.2010 will be logged in 2010_06_06 named table. When date is changed I'll create a table named 2010_06_07. But the problem is if this table is already created.
Any suggestions how to check if table exists in Access?

Answer 1

You can use the hidden system table MSysObjects to check if a table exists:
If Not IsNull(DlookUp("Name","MSysObjects","Name='TableName'")) Then
'Table Exists
However, I agree that it is a very bad idea to create a new table every day.
EDIT: I should add that tables have a type 1, 4 or 6 and it is possible for other objects of a different type to have the same name as a table, so it would be better to say:
If Not IsNull(DlookUp("Name","MSysObjects","Name='TableName' And Type In (1,4,6)")) Then
'Table Exists
However, it is not possible to create a table with the same name as a query, so if you need a look up to test for a name, it may be best to add 5, that is query, to the Type list.

Answer 2

Here's another solution, will be a bit faster than looping over all of the tables.
Public Function doesTableExist(strTableName As String) As Boolean
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim td As DAO.TableDef
Set db = CurrentDb
On Error Resume Next
Set td = db.TableDefs(strTableName)
doesTableExist = (Err.Number = 0)
Err.Clear
End Function

Answer 3

I tested various methods for finding out if a table exists several years ago. Here is the code for all of them as I implemented, including my simple test routine.
Public Function TableExists(strTableName As String, Optional ysnRefresh As Boolean, Optional db As DAO.Database) As Boolean
' Originally Based on Tony Toews function in TempTables.MDB, http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/temptables.htm
' Based on testing, when passed an existing database variable, this is the fastest
On Error GoTo errHandler
Dim tdf As DAO.TableDef
If db Is Nothing Then Set db = CurrentDb()
If ysnRefresh Then db.TableDefs.Refresh
Set tdf = db(strTableName)
TableExists = True
exitRoutine:
Set tdf = Nothing
Exit Function
errHandler:
Select Case Err.Number
Case 3265
TableExists = False
Case Else
MsgBox Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description, vbCritical, "Error in mdlBackup.TableExists()"
End Select
Resume exitRoutine
End Function
Public Function TableExists2(strTableName As String, Optional ysnRefresh As Boolean, Optional db As DAO.Database) As Boolean
On Error GoTo errHandler
Dim bolCleanupDB As Boolean
Dim tdf As DAO.TableDef
If db Is Nothing Then
Set db = CurrentDb()
bolCleanupDB = True
End If
If ysnRefresh Then db.TableDefs.Refresh
For Each tdf In db.TableDefs
If tdf.name = strTableName Then
TableExists2 = True
Exit For
End If
Next tdf
exitRoutine:
Set tdf = Nothing
If bolCleanupDB Then
Set db = Nothing
End If
Exit Function
errHandler:
MsgBox Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description, vbCritical, "Error in mdlBackup.TableExists1()"
Resume exitRoutine
End Function
Public Function TableExists3(strTableName As String, _
Optional db As DAO.Database) As Boolean
' Based on testing, when NOT passed an existing database variable, this is the fastest
On Error GoTo errHandler
Dim strSQL As String
Dim rs As DAO.Recordset
If db Is Nothing Then Set db = CurrentDb()
strSQL = "SELECT MSysObjects.Name FROM MSysObjects "
strSQL = strSQL & "WHERE MSysObjects.Name=" & Chr(34) & strTableName & Chr(34)
strSQL = strSQL & " AND MSysObjects.Type=6;"
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
TableExists3 = (rs.RecordCount <> 0)
exitRoutine:
If Not (rs Is Nothing) Then
rs.Close
Set rs = Nothing
End If
Exit Function
errHandler:
MsgBox Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description, vbCritical, _
"Error in TableExists1()"
Resume exitRoutine
End Function
Public Sub TestTableExists(strTableName As String, intLoopCount As Integer)
Dim dteStart As Date
Dim i As Integer
Dim bolResults As Boolean
dteStart = Now()
For i = 0 To intLoopCount
bolResults = TableExists(strTableName, , CurrentDB())
Next i
Debug.Print "TableExists (" & intLoopCount & "): " & Format(Now() - dteStart, "nn:ss")
dteStart = Now()
For i = 0 To intLoopCount
bolResults = TableExists2(strTableName, , CurrentDB())
Next i
Debug.Print "TableExists2 (" & intLoopCount & "): " & Format(Now() - dteStart, "nn:ss")
dteStart = Now()
For i = 0 To intLoopCount
bolResults = TableExists3(strTableName, CurrentDB())
Next i
Debug.Print "TableExists3 (" & intLoopCount & "): " & Format(Now() - dteStart, "nn:ss")
End Sub

Answer 4

I have found querying system tables or tabledefs to be unreliable and introduce unpredictable behaviour in scripts where tables get regularly created and dropped.
Based on my results, my hypothesis is that these tables aren't necessarily updated at the exact instant a CREATE or DROP is executed, or that concurrency issues are preventing me from getting an accurate result.
I've found the following method to be more reliable:
Public Function TableExists(theDatabase As Access.Application, _
tableName As String) As Boolean
' Presume that table does not exist.
TableExists = False
' Define iterator to query the object model.
Dim iTable As Integer
' Loop through object catalogue and compare with search term.
For iTable = 0 To theDatabase.CurrentData.AllTables.Count - 1
If theDatabase.CurrentData.AllTables(iTable).Name = tableName Then
TableExists = True
Exit Function
End If
Next iTable
End Function
There should be no runtime issue iterating unless there is an staggeringly enormous collection of tables.

Answer 5

This question is quite old but I found that no answer is satisfying, because:
they do not handle the case of "bad" linked tables, where the linked table points to a non existing db or table.
since linked tables are potentially huge, we must be able to check them with a fast query.
So here is my simple but more complete solution:
Function isTableOk(tblName As String) As Boolean
'works with local or linked tables
Dim db As DAO.Database, rs As DAO.Recordset
Dim sSql As String
sSql = "SELECT TOP 1 ""xxx"" AS Expr1 FROM [" & tblName & "]"
On Error Resume Next
Err.Clear
Set db = CurrentDb
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset(sSql)
isTableOk = (Err.Number = 0)
rs.Close
End Function
You can even check table in an external Access db with this version:
Function isTableOk(tblName As String, Optional dbName As String) As Boolean
'works with local or linked tables, or even tables in external db (if dbName is provided)
Dim db As DAO.Database, rs As DAO.Recordset
Dim sSql As String
Set db = CurrentDb
sSql = "SELECT TOP 1 'xxx' AS Expr1 FROM [" & tblName & "]"
If Len(dbName) > 0 Then 'external db
sSql = sSql & " IN '" & dbName & "'"
End If
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset(sSql)
isTableOk = (Err.Number = 0)
rs.Close
End Function