While this would be technically possible in SQL it's a bad idea. If your program is changing your schema on the fly it's probably doing the wrong thing. This not only covers adding new columns to existing tables but also adding new tables. The general idea is to get the schema right when you're designing your software and to change it only when a programmer (a human who can examine the schema) has made that decision. Work around: <code>SELECT newcol FROM mytable LIMIT 1</code> and see if you get <code>SQLITE_OK</code> back.