Windows shell
lastmod 2020-08-26created 2016-04-012 edits
In computing, the Windows Shell is the most visible part of the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. The shell is where the overall user interface is displayed, including the taskbar, Windows Explorer, dialog boxes, and so on. The older shells used in the Windows 3.x era, "MS-DOS Executive" and "Program Manager", can also be called Windows shells.
The default Windows shell relies on explorer.exe, which displays the Start menu, taskbar, notification area, and desktop items.
For Windows Api
Components of the Windows API help applications access, change, and enhance the features provided by the operating system shell. These components reside in shell.dll on 16-bit Windows and in shell32.dll on 32-bit Windows. The Shell Lightweight utility functions are in shlwapi.dll. These libraries belong to the "user interface" set of the API.
Mainly responsible for the context menu that appears when you right-click.