docs: def count_star(session: Union[Session, Engine, Connection],
                 tablename: str,
                 *criteria: Any) -> int:
      """
      Returns the result of ``COUNT(*)`` from the specified table (with
      additional ``WHERE`` criteria if desired).
  
      Args:
          session: SQLAlchemy :class:`Session`, :class:`Engine`, or
              :class:`Connection` object
          tablename: name of the table
          criteria: optional SQLAlchemy "where" criteria
  
      Returns:
          a scalar
      """
      # works if you pass a connection or a session or an engine; all have
      # the execute() method
      query = select([func.count()]).select_from(table(tablename))
      for criterion in criteria:
          query = query.where(criterion)
      return session.execute(query).scalar()