function numCols($result)
 {
     $cols = @msql_num_fields($result);
     if (!$cols) {
         return $this->raiseError();
     }
     return $cols;
 }

 /**
  * Returns information about a table or a result set
  *
  * @param object|string  $result  DB_result object from a query or a
  *                                 string containing the name of a table.
  *                                 While this also accepts a query result
  *                                 resource identifier, this behavior is
  *                                 deprecated.
  * @param int            $mode    a valid tableInfo mode
  *
  * @return array  an associative array with the information requested.
  *                 A DB_Error object on failure.
  *
  * @see DB_common::setOption()
  */
 function tableInfo($result, $mode = null)
 {
     if (is_string($result)) {
         /*
          * Probably received a table name.
          * Create a result resource identifier.
          */
         $id = @msql_query("SELECT * FROM {$result}", $this->connection);
         $got_string = true;
     } elseif (isset($result->result)) {
         /*
          * Probably received a result object.
          * Extract the result resource identifier.
          */
         $id = $result->result;
         $got_string = false;
     } else {
         /*
          * Probably received a result resource identifier.
          * Copy it.
          * Deprecated.  Here for compatibility only.
          */
         $id = $result;
         $got_string = false;
     }
     if (!is_resource($id)) {
         return $this->raiseError(DB_ERROR_NEED_MORE_DATA);
     }
     if ($this->options['portability'] & DB_PORTABILITY_LOWERCASE) {
         $case_func = 'strtolower';
     } else {
         $case_func = 'strval';
     }
     $count = @msql_num_fields($id);
     $res = array();
     if ($mode) {
         $res['num_fields'] = $count;
     }
     for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
         $tmp = @msql_fetch_field($id);
         $flags = '';
         if ($tmp->not_null) {
             $flags .= 'not_null ';
         }
         if ($tmp->unique) {
             $flags .= 'unique_key ';
         }
         $flags = trim($flags);
         $res[$i] = array('table' => $case_func($tmp->table), 'name' => $case_func($tmp->name), 'type' => $tmp->type, 'len' => msql_field_len($id, $i), 'flags' => $flags);
         if ($mode & DB_TABLEINFO_ORDER) {
             $res['order'][$res[$i]['name']] = $i;
         }
         if ($mode & DB_TABLEINFO_ORDERTABLE) {
             $res['ordertable'][$res[$i]['table']][$res[$i]['name']] = $i;
         }
     }
     // free the result only if we were called on a table
     if ($got_string) {
         @msql_free_result($id);
     }
     return $res;
 }

 function NumberOfColumns($result)
 {
     if (!isset($this->highest_fetched_row[$result])) {
         $this->SetError("Number of columns", "it was specified an inexisting result set");
         return -1;
     }
     return msql_num_fields($result);
 }