Fanal: A relational analysis and visualization package for high energy physics

The package described in this paper has been designed for analyzing the data collected in the LEP experiment ALEPH. Its main graphical feature is a deep interplay between the description of the objects manipulated and their relationships, and their graphical representation. The easy access to information through navigation between objects and its display makes possible a thorough study of the events produced by the detector. This has proved to be very powerful in numerous occasions for analyzing data and testing programs. The package provides as well statistical analysis tools and a graphic editor. It is based on the PHIGS graphics standard. It will develop towards a more elaborate usage of the data structure in particular in the geometrical representations and towards object oriented languages to overcome some heaviness linked to the use of Fortran