MySQL raises ER_NO_SUCH_INDEX when a CREATE or ALTER statement references an index name that does not exist in the target table.
MySQL Error 1082: ER_NO_SUCH_INDEX appears when a CREATE or ALTER statement points to an index name that the table does not contain. Confirm the correct index name or recreate the missing index to resolve the error.
Table '%s' has no index like the one used in CREATE
MySQL throws ER_NO_SUCH_INDEX (SQLSTATE 42S12) with message “Table '%s' has no index like the one used in CREATE” when a CREATE TABLE … SELECT, ALTER TABLE, or CREATE INDEX statement references a non-existent index name.
The server halts statement execution because it cannot locate the specified secondary or primary key index needed to copy, rename, or enforce constraints.
Fixing the mismatch is critical because the failed definition leaves the table or constraint in an inconsistent state.
Developers usually see Error 1082 during schema migrations, foreign-key additions, or table recreations generated by ORMs.
It also appears when cloning tables with LIKE or copying indexes with ALTER … INDEX syntax.
The error can surface on MySQL 5.6 through 8.1 and MariaDB forks that follow the same error code map.
Unresolved index mismatches block deployment scripts, break foreign-key integrity, and may leave dependent queries unoptimized.
Immediate correction guarantees predictable DDL operations and keeps the data model version-controlled.
The most common trigger is referencing an index name that has been renamed or dropped earlier in the migration chain.
Another frequent cause is using MySQL’s CREATE TABLE new LIKE old syntax when old contains a column-prefix index that MySQL cannot replicate.
Start by listing existing indexes with SHOW INDEX to verify the exact names.
If the desired index is missing, recreate it with CREATE INDEX or ALTER TABLE ADD INDEX.
If the index exists but under a different name, update the DDL statement to reference the correct name or rename the index with ALTER TABLE RENAME INDEX.
In CI/CD pipelines, rollbacks often drop indexes. Re-run the ADD INDEX step before re-applying foreign-key constraints.
When using ORMs, check the generated SQL.
Tools like Liquibase or Flyway may include out-of-date index names if the model changed after script generation.
Automate schema diff checks in Galaxy’s SQL editor to compare intended and actual indexes before deployment.
Adopt naming conventions and store them in version control so that renamed indexes are traceable across branches.
ER_DUP_KEYNAME (Error 1061) signals an index name collision instead of absence; rename or drop one index.
ER_KEY_COLUMN_DOES_NOT_EXIST (Error 1072) occurs when an index references a column that is missing; add the column or adjust the index definition.
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No. The error blocks DDL execution before data manipulation occurs, so existing rows stay intact.
Avoid ignoring it. Skipping the step leaves constraints unenforced and may hinder future schema changes.
On MySQL 8.0 with InnoDB, most index additions are online. Older versions may lock writes; schedule during low-traffic windows.
Galaxy’s schema-aware AI copilot verifies referenced indexes during query generation and flags missing names before execution.
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