--- loncom/interface/lonmysql.pm	2003/03/21 16:04:42	1.12
+++ loncom/interface/lonmysql.pm	2003/06/02 17:01:05	1.15
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # MySQL utility functions
 #
-# $Id: lonmysql.pm,v 1.12 2003/03/21 16:04:42 matthew Exp $
+# $Id: lonmysql.pm,v 1.15 2003/06/02 17:01:05 matthew Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -348,6 +348,33 @@ sub connect_to_db {
 
 =pod
 
+=item &verify_sql_connection()
+
+Inputs: none.
+
+Returns: 0 (failure) or 1 (success)
+
+Checks to make sure the database can be connected to.  It does not
+initialize anything in the lonmysql package.
+
+=cut
+
+###############################
+sub verify_sql_connection {
+    my $connection;
+    if (! ($connection = DBI->connect("DBI:mysql:loncapa","www",
+                                      $Apache::lonnet::perlvar{'lonSqlAccess'},
+                                      { RaiseError=>0,PrintError=>0}))) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    undef($connection);
+    return 1;
+}
+
+###############################
+
+=pod
+
 =item &disconnect_from_db()
 
 Inputs: none.
@@ -986,6 +1013,34 @@ sub remove_from_table {
     return $rows;
 }
 
+###########################################
+
+=pod
+
+=item drop_table($table_id)
+
+Issues a 'drop table if exists' command
+
+=cut
+
+###########################################
+
+sub drop_table {
+    my ($table_id) = @_;
+    return undef if (!defined(&connect_to_db()));
+    #
+    $table_id = &translate_id($table_id);
+    my $command = 'DROP TABLE IF EXISTS '.$table_id;
+    my $sth = $dbh->prepare($command); 
+    $sth->execute();
+    if ($sth->err) {
+        $errorstring = "ERROR on execution of ".$command."\n".$sth->errstr;
+        return undef;
+    }
+    $debugstring = $command;
+    delete($Tables{$table_id}); # remove any knowledge of the table
+    return 1; # if we got here there was no error, so return a 'true' value
+}
 
 1;