The rich client platform (RCP) is a programmer tool that makes it easier to integrate independent software components, where most of the data processing occurs on the client side. It is a software consisting of the following components:
With a RCP, programmers can build their own applications on existing computing platforms. Instead of having to write a complete application from scratch, they can benefit from proven and tested features of the framework provided by the platform. Building on a platform facilitates faster application development and integration, while the cross-platform burden is taken on by the platform developers. The platform allows the seamless integration of independent software modules like graphic tools, spreadsheets and mapping technologies into a software application with a simple click of the mouse.
Their creators claim that programs built with RCP are portable to many operating systems while being as rich as client-server applications which use so called fat clients or traditional clients.
Open-source examples are the Eclipse, NetBeans and Spring Framework RCPs for Java.