sqlite alter table add MULTIPLE columns in a single statement

Question

Is it possible to alter table add MULTIPLE columns in a single statement in sqlite? The following would not work.

alter table test add column mycolumn1 text, add          


        

Answer 1

No, you have to add them one at a time. See the syntax diagram at the top of SQLite's ALTER TABLE documentation:

There's no loop in the ADD branch so no repetition is allowed.

Answer 2

alter table test add column mycolumn1 text; alter table test add column mycolumn2 text;

use the above redifined query

Answer 3

The answer from @mu is too short' is right. As an extra, adding an optimized workaround for adding multiple columns using the benefit of transactions in SQL.

String alterTableQuery = "ALTER TABLE " + TABLE_NAME + " ADD COLUMN ";
List<String> newColumns = ..// Your new columns

db.beginTransaction();
for (String column : newColumns){
    db.execSQL(alterTableQuery + column +  " VARCHAR");
}
db.setTransactionSuccessful();
db.endTransaction();

I hope this will help someone.

Answer 4

The only thing so far possible that I use is

BEGIN TRANSACTION;
ALTER TABLE tblName ADD ColumnNameA TEXT DEFAULT '';
ALTER TABLE tblName ADD ColumnNameB TEXT DEFAULT '';
ALTER TABLE tblName ADD ColumnNameC TEXT DEFAULT '';
COMMIT

Note that there are ; on purpose to make the query be read as multiple lines.

Then I run this query and get multiple columns added in on run... So no not in one line, but yes in one query its possible.