docs: def exists_plain(session: Session, tablename: str, *criteria: Any) -> bool:
      """
      Implements an efficient way of detecting if a record or records exist;
      should be faster than COUNT(*) in some circumstances.
  
      Args:
          session: SQLAlchemy :class:`Session`, :class:`Engine`, or
              :class:`Connection` object
          tablename: name of the table
          criteria: optional SQLAlchemy "where" criteria
  
      Returns:
          a boolean
  
      Prototypical use:
  
      .. code-block:: python
  
          return exists_plain(config.destdb.session,
                              dest_table_name,
                              column(fieldname1) == value2,
                              column(fieldname2) == value2)
      """
      return exists_in_table(session, table(tablename), *criteria)