using a paramater as table name

[alero]

hi. i'm writing a procedure that retrives row count of any table (in a specific dataase). table name should be supplied as a parameter to the procedure.
i wrote:
--++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS getCount;
CREATE PROCEDURE getCount(IN tableName varchar(50), OUT rowCount int)
BEGIN
SELECT count(*) INTO rowCount FROM tableName;
END;
--++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
when i call the procedure it says: table "tableName" does not exist, which means it does not recognizes "tableName" as a variable.

How can I persuade MySQL to accept it as a variable?!
Thanx for help.

 

[vacunita]

Have you red the MYSQL manual for declaring variables:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/declare-local-variables.html

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[alero]

At last I found the solution, I'll put it here so that no one will get stuck in this thing again...

CREATE PROCEDURE getCount (IN tbl varchar(50))
BEGIN
SELECT CONCAT(CONCAT(CONCAT("SELECT COUNT(*) AS ", tbl)," FROM "), tbl)INTO @query;
PREPARE stmt FROM @query;
EXECUTE stmt;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
END