> First, let me say that I am new to postgres. I used MySQL before, but..
> ehm..
Welcome.
> 1. How can I check if a given table exists?
> 2. How can I check if a given existing table has the right
> layout? (Correct column names and types)
http://archives2.us.postgresql.org/pgsql-sql/2001-07/msg00319.php
and
http://archives2.us.postgresql.org/pgsql-sql/2001-07/msg00403.php
will show you the way to go.
Stony