10 files changed, 45 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/firebird/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/firebird/base.py
index fcf0c31d3..1f0c66ffb 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/firebird/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/firebird/base.py
@@ -685,6 +685,7 @@ class FBDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
         """Return ``True`` if the given table exists, ignoring
         the `schema`."""
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
 
         tblqry = """
         SELECT 1 AS has_table FROM rdb$database
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mssql/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mssql/base.py
index 1fef42c53..e09322487 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mssql/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mssql/base.py
@@ -2799,6 +2799,7 @@ class MSDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
 
     @_db_plus_owner
     def has_table(self, connection, tablename, dbname, owner, schema):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
         if tablename.startswith("#"):  # temporary table
             tables = ischema.mssql_temp_table_columns
 
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mysql/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mysql/base.py
index 3966126e2..f45d5ec91 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mysql/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/mysql/base.py
@@ -2809,6 +2809,8 @@ class MySQLDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
         return connection.exec_driver_sql("SELECT DATABASE()").scalar()
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
+
         if schema is None:
             schema = self.default_schema_name
 
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/oracle/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/oracle/base.py
index 11ad61675..6496c4f71 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/oracle/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/oracle/base.py
@@ -1596,6 +1596,8 @@ class OracleDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
         raise NotImplementedError("implemented by cx_Oracle dialect")
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
+
         if not schema:
             schema = self.default_schema_name
         cursor = connection.execute(
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/base.py
index d0915a0c9..3b419ed16 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/postgresql/base.py
@@ -3303,6 +3303,7 @@ class PGDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
         return bool(cursor.first())
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
         # seems like case gets folded in pg_class...
         if schema is None:
             cursor = connection.execute(
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sqlite/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sqlite/base.py
index 83c2a8ea7..28901d028 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sqlite/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sqlite/base.py
@@ -1996,6 +1996,8 @@ class SQLiteDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
         return [row[0] for row in rs]
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
+
         info = self._get_table_pragma(
             connection, "table_info", table_name, schema=schema
         )
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sybase/base.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sybase/base.py
index fd5e5b3b6..7c10973e6 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sybase/base.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/dialects/sybase/base.py
@@ -1089,6 +1089,8 @@ class SybaseDialect(default.DefaultDialect):
         return [v["name"] for v in views]
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None):
+        self._ensure_has_table_connection(connection)
+
         try:
             self.get_table_id(connection, table_name, schema)
         except exc.NoSuchTableError:
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py
index d45b6d7a7..375a93a48 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import weakref
 from . import characteristics
 from . import cursor as _cursor
 from . import interfaces
+from .base import Connection
 from .. import event
 from .. import exc
 from .. import pool
@@ -323,6 +324,19 @@ class DefaultDialect(interfaces.Dialect):
         self._encoder = codecs.getencoder(self.encoding)
         self._decoder = processors.to_unicode_processor_factory(self.encoding)
 
+    def _ensure_has_table_connection(self, arg):
+
+        if not isinstance(arg, Connection):
+            raise exc.ArgumentError(
+                "The argument passed to Dialect.has_table() should be a "
+                "%s, got %s. "
+                "Additionally, the Dialect.has_table() method is for "
+                "internal dialect "
+                "use only; please use "
+                "``inspect(some_engine).has_table(<tablename>>)`` "
+                "for public API use." % (Connection, type(arg))
+            )
+
     @util.memoized_property
     def _supports_statement_cache(self):
         return (
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/interfaces.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/interfaces.py
index 5e6cc524e..47348ba76 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/interfaces.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/interfaces.py
@@ -467,12 +467,25 @@ class Dialect(object):
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
     def has_table(self, connection, table_name, schema=None, **kw):
-        """Check the existence of a particular table in the database.
+        """For internal dialect use, check the existence of a particular table
+        in the database.
+
+        Given a :class:`_engine.Connection` object, a string table_name and
+        optional schema name, return True if the given table exists in the
+        database, False otherwise.
+
+        This method serves as the underlying implementation of the
+        public facing :meth:`.Inspector.has_table` method, and is also used
+        internally to implement the "checkfirst" behavior for methods like
+        :meth:`_schema.Table.create` and :meth:`_schema.MetaData.create_all`.
+
+        .. note:: This method is used internally by SQLAlchemy, and is
+           published so that third-party dialects may provide an
+           implementation. It is **not** the public API for checking for table
+           presence. Please use the :meth:`.Inspector.has_table` method.
+           Alternatively, for legacy cross-compatibility, the
+           :meth:`_engine.Engine.has_table` method may be used.
 
-        Given a :class:`_engine.Connection` object and a string
-        `table_name`, return True if the given table (possibly within
-        the specified `schema`) exists in the database, False
-        otherwise.
         """
 
         raise NotImplementedError()
diff --git a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/reflection.py b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/reflection.py
index cff209575..2cdd9ac3b 100644
--- a/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/reflection.py
+++ b/lib/sqlalchemy/engine/reflection.py
@@ -274,7 +274,8 @@ class Inspector(object):
         :param table_name: name of the table to check
         :param schema: schema name to query, if not the default schema.
 
-        .. versionadded:: 1.4
+        .. versionadded:: 1.4 - the :meth:`.Inspector.has_table` method
+           replaces the :meth:`_engine.Engine.has_table` method.
 
         """
         # TODO: info_cache?