PRB: CREATE TABLE Appears to Ignore IF Statements

Last reviewed: April 25, 1997
Article ID: Q42417

The information in this article applies to:

  - Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2 for OS/2
  - Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2

SYMPTOMS

If a CREATE TABLE statement is placed inside an IF block to prevent re-creating a table that already exists, the duplicate table name error will still be raised.

WORKAROUND

Apparently, a CREATE TABLE statement is validated before any of the flow-of-control or PRINT statements are executed.

The following code works properly:

   IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM SYSOBJECTS WHERE NAME="PROTOCOL"
     DROP TABLE PROTOCOL
   GO

   CREATE TABLE PROTOCOL (C1 int)
   GO

The following code does not work properly:

   IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM SYSOBJECTS WHERE NAME="PROTOCOL")
   CREATE TABLE PROTOCOL (C1 int)
   GO

Additional query words: Transact-SQL Windows NT
Keywords : kbprg SSrvGen SSrvServer SSrvWinNT
Version : 4.2 | 4.2
Platform : OS/2 WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: April 25, 1997
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