INSERT INTO if not exists SQL server

Question

I have a database structured as follows:

users

userid (Primary Key)
username

group

Answer 1

The following code is a method that returns 0 if user already exists and returns the new user ID that just added :

  private int TryToAddUser(string UserName)
        {
            int res = 0;
            try
            {
                string sQuery = " IF NOT EXISTS (select * from users where username = @username) \n\r" + 
                " BEGIN \n\r" + 
                "     INSERT INTO users values (@username) \n\r" + 
                " SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY() \n\r " + 
                " END \n\r " + 
                " ELSE SELECT 0";
                using (System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand cmd = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand())
                {
                    cmd.CommandText = sQuery;
                    cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@username",UserName);
                    cmd.Connection = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("SomeSqlConnString");
                    cmd.Connection.Open();
                    res = (int)cmd.ExecuteScalar();
                    cmd.Connection.Close();
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
            return res;
        }