This document provides code samples for validating the existence of a table without using DBA metadata in Oracle and SQL Server. For Oracle, it demonstrates using PL/SQL to declare variables, create a block to execute a SELECT statement on the target table and handle any errors, and conditionally create the table if it does not exist. For SQL Server, it shows using T-SQL to declare variables, try to execute a SELECT statement and handle the error if the table does not exist using TRY/CATCH blocks, conditionally creating the table on error. The goal is the same for both - to check if a table exists without direct metadata access and create it if needed, leveraging exception handling for

1. VALIDATING THE EXISTENCE OF A TABLE
WITHOUT USING DBA METADATA
ORACLE AND SQL SERVER
Antonio P. R.
Lima, Peru
JULY 30, 2016

2. Validating The Existence of a Table Without Using DBA Metadata - Oracle and SQL Server
A. P. R. Page 1 of 3
¿DOES THE TABLE EXISTS?
When you need to create a table, it’s a good idea to know if the table exists already. But, what happened when you
don’t have enough privileges to validate that? Just become creative: use the exceptions to help you.
1. ORACLE
Tested successfully in versions:
 Oracle Enterprise Edition 10g
 Oracle Enterprise Edition 11g R1/R2
 Oracle Express Edition
We are going to create a script that contains all the necessary steps to validate the existence of a specific table
(for this example, the table to validate is BOOKS from the HR schema).
First:
Declare variables to be used. One for the embedded statement and another for the indicator of existence (flag of
existence).
V_SQL VARCHAR2(256) := '';
(variable length depends on the table you want to validate/create)
V_FLAG_EXISTS NUMBER := 1;
Second:
Create a PL-SQL block with a simple select statement to execute (this block will be inside another block):
V_SQL := 'SELECT 1 FROM HR.BOOKS';
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE V_SQL;
Third:
Manage the exception block against ORA-00942: table or view does not exist.
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
IF SQLCODE = -942 THEN
V_FLAG_EXISTS := 0;
ELSE
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(SQLERRM);
END IF;
END;
Fourth:
In the outside PL-SQL block, validate the flag:

3. Validating The Existence of a Table Without Using DBA Metadata - Oracle and SQL Server
A. P. R. Page 2 of 3
IF V_FLAG_EXISTS = 0 THEN
V_SQL := 'CREATE TABLE HR.BOOKS (ID NUMBER, DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(100))';
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE V_SQL;
END IF;
Finally, the script would be:
DECLARE
V_SQL VARCHAR2(256) := '';
V_FLAG_EXISTS NUMBER := 1;
BEGIN
BEGIN
V_SQL := 'SELECT 1 FROM HR.BOOKS';
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE V_SQL;
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('Table already exists in database.');
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
IF SQLCODE = -942 THEN
V_FLAG_EXISTS := 0;
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line('Table does not exists in database.');
ELSE
DBMS_OUTPUT.put_line(SQLERRM);
END IF;
END;
IF V_FLAG_EXISTS = 0 THEN
V_SQL := 'CREATE TABLE HR.BOOKS (ID NUMBER, DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(100))';
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE V_SQL;
END IF;
END;
/
2. SQL SERVER
Tested successfully in versions:
 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP2
 Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1/SP2/SP3
 Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP1
The algorithm is the same. In this case we’re going to use TRANSACT-SQL, and for the example the table to
create is dbo.BOOKS.
USE DB_LPR

4. Validating The Existence of a Table Without Using DBA Metadata - Oracle and SQL Server
A. P. R. Page 3 of 3
GO
DECLARE @SQLStringSelect nvarchar(500);
DECLARE @SQLStringCreate nvarchar(500);
SET @SQLStringSelect = N'SELECT 1 FROM dbo.BOOKS';
SET @SQLStringCreate = N'CREATE TABLE dbo.BOOKS (ID INT, DESCRIPTION
VARCHAR(100))';
BEGIN TRY
EXEC (@SQLStringSelect);
PRINT N'Table already exists in database.';
END TRY
BEGIN CATCH
IF ERROR_NUMBER() = 208
BEGIN
PRINT N'Table does not exists in database.';
EXEC (@SQLStringCreate);
END;
ELSE
PRINT ERROR_MESSAGE();
END CATCH;