Why does metadata have to stored in table cells according to Codd's 12 rules Among Codd's 12 rules for Relational Database Management Systems is Rule 1, which states the following:

Rule 1: Information rule
All information(including metadata) is to be
represented as stored data in cells of tables. The rows and columns
have to be strictly unordered.

Why is it important that metadata be stored in tables?
Metadata isn't uniquely more important than non-metadata in this context. Rather, his rule just simply wants the reader to realize that &quot;All Information&quot; is inclusive of even the metadata regarding the database itself. This is useful for understanding the structure of the database and the relational model behind it. This is why the Information Schema is part of the ANSI SQL standards.