Metadata means data about data. Metadata extension means any additional information about the data. For Example let us consider a source qualifier and then I want to put any extra info about it like date of creation author etc .this can be put in that metadata extension. We can add a row as we do each time to add a port. The columns of this row are NAME DATATYPE (string number bool) VALUE RESUABLE UNOVERRIDE DESCRIPTION PRECISION.
Can create them in the SOURCE TARGET MAPPINGS TRANSFORMATION MAPPLET.
Can be of two types REUSABLE and NON-RESUABLE.
NON-RESUABLE can be converted to REUSABLE but vice-versa is not true.
Only the value column can be changed other columns can't be refined.
Correct me if I am wrong and give any extra info available especially for the
last part - How Informatica deals with it.