--- loncom/interface/lonmysql.pm	2003/03/17 18:35:51	1.11
+++ loncom/interface/lonmysql.pm	2003/04/18 15:50:55	1.13
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # MySQL utility functions
 #
-# $Id: lonmysql.pm,v 1.11 2003/03/17 18:35:51 matthew Exp $
+# $Id: lonmysql.pm,v 1.13 2003/04/18 15:50:55 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.
@@ -981,6 +1008,7 @@ sub remove_from_table {
         $errorstring = "ERROR on execution of ".$command."\n".$sth->errstr;
         return undef;
     }
+    $debugstring = $command;
     my $rows = $sth->rows;
     return $rows;
 }