The Eclipse Foundation says building rich internet applications (RIA) just got easier with the release today of its much-anticipated Rich Ajax Platform (RAP 1.0) toolkit.

The toolkit enables developers to build RIAs using a combination of Java, Ajax and the OSGi standard within the Eclipse framework.

Specifically, RAP 1.0 brings the disciplines of component-based development to the Ajax world with the aim of attracting large enterprises to the Eclipse. Developers, for example, will be able to build RIAs and Rich Client Platform (RCP) applications using the same Java components.

Jochen Krause, project leader of Eclipse RAP, said: "We see a lot of interest from organizations that want to create Ajax applications but can't sacrifice developer productivity. They like making use of a component model that integrates RIA applications with existing web services and JEE systems. Eclipse and OSGi provide the technology that make Ajax ready for these organizations."

RAP 1.0 has been compared to the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) - but with Eclipse plug ins. ®