Programs based on the Internet Explorer browser engine
An Internet Explorer shell is any computer program (web browser or otherwise) that uses the Internet Explorer browser engine, known as MSHTML and previously Trident. This engine is closed-source, but Microsoft has exposed an application programming interface (API) that permits the developers to instantiate either MSHTML or a full-fledged chromeless Internet Explorer (known as the WebBrowser control) within the graphical user interface of their software.[1]