How to clone tables in mysql?
Cloning operation in SQL allows the user to create the exact copy of an existing table along with its definition, that is completely independent from the original table. Thus, if any changes are made to the cloned table, they will not be reflected in the original table.
There are three types of cloning possible using SQL in MySQL RDBMS; they are listed below
Simple Cloning: Creates a new table containing same records of existing table but void of any constraints or indexes etc.
Shallow Cloning: Creates a new empty table with the same table definition of an existing table.
Deep Cloning: Creates a new table and copies the table structure and data of an existing table to the new table.
Simple Cloning means making a new table that contains the same data as an existing one. First, a new table is created using the CREATE TABLE statement. Then, data from selected columns in the existing table is copied into the new table using a SELECT statement.
The Shallow Cloning operation only copies the structure of the existing table into the new table created, but it doesn't copy any of the data. So, we end up with a new empty table that has the same structure as the existing table.
Deep Cloning operation is a combination of simple cloning and shallow cloning. It not only copies the structure of the existing table but also its data into the newly created table. Hence, the new table will have all the attributes of the existing table and also its contents.