Check if mysql field exists

[sumday]

How do you check to see if a mysql field exists and if it doesn't exist you make one?

[devinemke]

let's say you are looking for a field called "email"

$fields = mysql_list_fields('database_name', 'table_name');
$columns = mysql_num_fields($fields);
for ($i = 0; $i < $columns; $i++) {$field_array[] = mysql_field_name($fields, $i);}

if (!in_array('email', $field_array))
{
	$result = mysql_query('ALTER TABLE table_name ADD email VARCHAR(10)');
}