Problem with mkdir script

[talkster5]

Hi there
i am having a little problem with my script and i dont really know much about the errors in scripts (need to get a new book on php) and also im to tired. But basically i have the follow script

<?php
mkdir("$foldername", 0700);

if($folder = 1);
{
echo "New Folder Couldnt Not Be Created As It Already Exists.";
}
else
{
echo "New User Has Been Added Successfully.";
}
?> 

I know it probably doesnt make sense anyway and wouldnt work because of my if statment but i also get the following error

Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_ELSE in e:\ibserver\www\folder.php on line 16

[yelvington]

Problems that I see:

1. $foldername is not set, so mkdir will attempt to create a file with a null name.

2. Presumably you intended to assign $folder the value returned by mkdir(). You didn't.

3. The if() construct contains an assignment (which will always be TRUE) and not a comparison. Beware those = vs == problems.

4. The value returned by mkdir() is FALSE on failure and TRUE on success -- so the "test" in #3 is backwards.

5. The if() construct is immediately followed by a semicolon, which places if() in control of a null statement.

6. The T_ELSE error was created by #5.

[talkster5]

basically all i want is a simple if statment to echo a line if the folder already exists and cannot be created or echo it has been created.