Xplain is a beautifully orthogonal database manipulation and query language. Orthogonal means that with Xplain there is usually only one solution, not dozens like in SQL. Xplain straight-forwardly supports aggregation and generalization. Or in other words, it supports has-a and is-a relations, the only possible relations. Because it supports is-a relations, it is a very natural component in an object-oriented environment.

Xplain also has a graphical side. Data models created in Xplain are far more readable than data models drawn with ER based tools.