title: How to check whether an element is present in the database table or not?
body: <p>I am new to this database and I am stuck on a problem.
  I have a query which returns more than one row as output.  I want to check whether the query returns a value or not based on a condition. I am using MySQL and a stored procedure. </p>
  
  <pre><code>CREATE PROCEDURE getSearchFilter(IN searchname varchar(220),categoryid int, categoryheading varchar(220),catdiscription varchar(220))
  DETERMINISTIC
  BEGIN 
  if SELECT IF( EXISTS(SELECT distinct categorie_heading FROM product_meta_data WHERE categorie_heading='material'), 1, 0) then
  
  //code
  else
  //code
  end if;
  
  END
  
  SELECT distinct categorie_heading FROM product_meta_data WHERE categorie_heading='material';
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>It returns multiple rows, but I want to check whether 'material' is present in the table or not.</p>