When storing data in heterogeneous databases, one of the top-down design issues concerns the usage of multiple query languages. A common language enables querying of database schemas in a platform independent format. This is particularly useful in federated database systems when newly added databases may be both numerous and heterogeneous. As the existing query language standards are generally incompatible and translation between them is not trivial, a new query language has been developed. The EQL language facilitates querying of object-oriented and object-relational database schemas in a database and platform independent manner. The EQL language also provides an orthogonal type system, the ability to define simple views, and updatability at the object level. EQL is supported with formally defined object algebra and specified semantics of query evaluation.