How to check if table exists in MySql db?

Bi-Directional Synchronization of database changes in mySQL and Access

• How can I implement bi-directional synchronized table changes in a mySQL database and Microsoft Access? I have webhosting with Dreamhost which has PHP and mySQL. I've created a mySQL test DB, installed mySQL Administrator locally and created the mySQL ODBC connection. I've made the ODBC connection to Access and brought in a sample table. If anything changes in either the sample Access table(s) or the mySQL DB table(s) (i.e. adding a field or data population), I would like those changes to populate to both locations. My primary reason is: I am much more familiar with Access and would like to continue to use it for queries (until my SQL skills are more refined). However, when I implement a web form and collect data, I understand that data will go to my mySQL database (correct?). I do understand this exists: http://www.data-conversions.net/access-to-mysql-sync-converter.html, but am looking for free alternatives. Thanks for any input!

• Answer:

  mic stand, unless you plan to keep one copy of your DB in mySQL and another in Access, you don't need the utility you've described. It wouldn't be good practice to do this as a constant operational situation anyway, particularly if your database grows to any size, or you begin to construct SQL statements of any appreciable complexity, as the differences in SQL standards implementation between the Jet engine used by Access and the mySQL engine can create problems for the conversion utility, and because the Jet engine is notoriously susceptible to corruption. What I would strongly recommended to do, instead, is to make local backups of the mySQL database on your Windows machine, and do this on a regular production schedule (at least daily, if you are collecting any volume of data on the Web site). Then install and run mySQL server's free Windows version as a local server. This will give you some protection from data loss due to corruption of the database up on the Web server, and is something you need to do anyway, for security. You can create another OBDC connector to the local copy of the database, and run it under the locally installed copy of mySQL server on any Windows machine. The memory and resource footprint for running mySQL server and Access together on the same machine at the same time is pretty minimal, if you don't have tables running to millions of rows, and you should be easily able to do this on any Intel machine with more than 128Kb of memory. You just start mySQL server on your local Windows machine before starting Access, and the whole thing can be done with a couple of mouse clicks, once you have mySQL server installed, and the OBDC connection set up.