Run multiple CREATE TABLe queries with MySQL and PHP

Question

I need to create a large number of tables at once and add data to the first one using PHP and MySQL. My code looks like this:

$sql = "CREATE TABLE table1 (
code VARCHAR(5) PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
);";

//adding businesses to table
$sql .= "INSERT INTO table1 (code, name)
VALUES ('CODE', 'name');";
//^this basic idea is run a few more times

$sql .= "CREATE TABLE table2 (
code VARCHAR(5) PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
);";
//^same basic thing run a bunch more times w/ variations to columns

if ($conn->multi_query($sql) === TRUE) {
echo "<p>Tables created.</p>
<a href=\"adduser_form.php\">Continue</a>";
} else {
    echo "<p>Error creating tables: " . $conn->error . "</p>";
}

This only creates the first table and adds the data to it, it won't create any other tables and I get no error messages (the success message is shown). I've been googling a solution for an hour and I can't come up with anything. I'm thinking I need a way to hold off creating the next table until the previous one has been created?

I'm very new to MySQL so newbie-friendly would be very much appreciated:)

Answer 1

Try using backticks in your SQL statements, such as:

$sql .= "CREATE TABLE `table2` (
    `code` VARCHAR(5) PRIMARY KEY,
    `name` VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
);";

You should also use backticks in your INSERT statement (and your first CREATE query).

If I'm not mistaken, name is reserved word.