The GUI version of the RPM pretty much explains itself; there is not much to add. For the command-line I list the most import commands and switches:
rpm -qa
List all installed packages
rpm -e
Remove (erase) an installed package
rpm -qi
View a package description
rpm -i
Install a package
Once you install a package, there is nothing more to do except configure the actual application. All the files are already in their proper location. It's actually surprisingly easy.
When calling "rpm –e" you will need to specify the package name without the .rpm extension.