The ApplicationComponent class has a number of static methods that are used to launch an application component in the desktop:

These methods take responsibility for creating the corresponding desktop host (Workspace, Shelf, or DialogBox) and executing a specified application component inside that host. LaunchAsWorkspace and LaunchAsShelf each return the instance of the host object that was created and application code can freely make use of this object.  For example, LaunchAsShelf returns a Shelf object.  Application code can then call Shelf.Hide and Shelf.Show to programmatically hide and show the shelf.