SQL exclude a column using SELECT * [except columnA] FROM tableA?

Question

We all know that to select all columns from a table, we can use

SELECT * FROM tableA

Is there a way to exclude column(s) from a table witho

Answer 1

Sometimes the same program must handle different database stuctures. So I could not use a column list in the program to avoid errors in select statements.

* gives me all the optional fields. I check if the fields exist in the data table before use. This is my reason for using * in select.

This is how I handle excluded fields:

Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter("select * from table", cn)
da.FillSchema(dt, SchemaType.Source)
Dim fieldlist As String = ""
For Each DC As DataColumn In DT.Columns
   If DC.ColumnName.ToLower <> excludefield Then
    fieldlist = fieldlist &  DC.Columnname & ","
   End If
  Next