Differences between MySQL DESCRIBE, SHOW COLUMNS FROM, SHOW CREATE TABLE and query to information_schema table

Question

I have always checked table definitions through DESCRIBE, but today I came across something weird.

Another guy told me the DEFAULT value shown for a column through SHOW CREATE TABLE was different from what I got from DESCRIBE. I checked information_schema and I got the same result from DESCRIBE, so I’m curious why SHOW CREATE TABLE is showing something different.

Funny thing is some people at #mysql (IRC) told me this:

protip: don’t use DESCRIBE or SHOW COLUMNS FROM, use information_schema

Funny enough, though I asked, no one told me the reason, and also given the one being different is SHOW CREATE TABLE, at this point I’m lost.

Given how the application works, I am trusting SHOW CREATE TABLE, but the wise people and my barely-knows-database knowledge tell me information_schema is right.

Could you please explain which option should I use, why, and when not, why does documentation mention nothing about not trusting one or the other?

Thanks in advance!