A Windows component which implements the front-end capability of a web browser.
Its name comes from an abbreviation of "SHELL DOCUMENT VIEW", at least, according to Microsoft antitrust trial transcripts :-
Q. AND MR. PARTOVI ALSO TESTIFIED THAT THE FILE CALLED "SHDOCVW," SHELL DOCUMENT VIEW, PROVIDES A BROWSING WINDOW AND USER INTERFACE ELEMENTS LIKE NAVIGATIONAL TOOLBARS, AND THAT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO WEB BROWSING; IS IT NOT?
A. CAPABILITIES WHICH DO THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR WEB BROWSING. REALIZE, THOUGH, THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DLL'S, THERE MAY BE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS IN THAT DLL. SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT THAT'S ALL IT DOES. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING. THERE'S INTIMATION IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DLL'S DO THAT THEY -- THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS, NOT JUST ONE SPECIFIC THING.