stored procedure is issuing syntax error

Question

I am trying to create a mysql stored procedure with phpmyadmin:

CREATE PROCEDURE AddTableColumn()
BEGIN 

   IF (SELECT COUNT (table_name) 
      FROM information_schema.tables
      WHERE table_name IN ('authors', 'publishers') = 2 ) 
        print 'specified tables exist...';
   ELSE 
        print 'specified tables unavailable...';
   END IF;

END​

above code is a snippet that should search information schema for the availability of authors and publishers tables, then proceed to add new column in each table if present.

the print statement was for debug purpose. when i clicked the GO command, here's the error message :

MySQL said:

1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'print 'avail...'; ELSE print 'unavail...'; END IF; END' at line 7.

what am i doing wrong ? i have even tried other code as a test, all failing with the same error. code as simple as:

BEGIN 

   IF (6 > 4) 
        print 'greater';
   ELSE 
        print 'lesser';
   END IF;

END ​

all failed. any help will be appreciated.

Answer 1

'print' is not recognized in MySQL.

If you want to read back the output, just use a select in the SP.

Change part of your SP as below:

DECLARE found_status VARCHAR(255) DEFAULT NULL;
IF .... 
    SELECT 'specified tables exist...' INTO found_status;
ELSE 
    SELECT 'specified tables unavailable...' INTO found_status;
END IF;  

SELECT found_status;