How to check if mysql database exists

Question

Is it possible to check if a (MySQL) database exists after having made a connection.

I know how to check if a table exists in a DB, but I need to check if the DB exists. If not I have to call another piece of code to create it and populate it.

I know this all sounds somewhat inelegant - this is a quick and dirty app.

Answer 1

SELECT SCHEMA_NAME
  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.SCHEMATA
 WHERE SCHEMA_NAME = 'DBName'

If you just need to know if a db exists so you won't get an error when you try to create it, simply use (From here):

CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS DBName;