Alter table add column like another column syntax I was looking into MySQL specification, but couldn't find any solution to my problem. I want to clone specific columns in several tables like this:

ALTER TABLE `table` ADD COLUMN `new_column` LIKE `column` AFTER `column`;


Of course this gives me syntax error: right syntax to use near 'LIKE `column` AFTER `column`', what i was expecting. Is there any possible solution to this or i have to specify directly a new column? I know that "cloning" table structure using LIKE operator is possible. Is it also possible in this case?
No. This is not possible using command.

All you can do is write a procedure to grab the table &amp; column-name. Get the column definition from information_schema. Create alter-table-modify-column syntaxes &amp; exec... Something like following:

call modify_table(target_table, source_table, source_column);