Unlike BIRT Report Designer, BIRT RCP Report Designer is a stand-alone application. To update this application, you delete the entire application and reinstall a newer version. If you created your report designs and resources in the birt-rcp-report-designer-<version> directory structure, you must back up your workspace directory and any resources that you want to keep before you delete BIRT RCP Report Designer. After you install a newer version of the application, you can copy your files back to the application directory structure.

As a best practice, do not keep your workspace in the birt-rcp-report-designer-<version> directory structure. Keeping your workspace in a different location enables you to update your installation more easily in the future.