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DOOR.SYS is a common and basic dropfile format. Each line is a CP437 ASCII entry with a CRLF ending.

03/14/88 - Submitted by the "Limited Release Software Group"
Updated: 03/21/88
Updated: 10/22/88 KG
Updated: 07/07/90 KG, to add additional info for Raymond Clements
Updated: 07/14/91 Note to developers added by Jim Harrer/Mustang Software.
Sample DOOR.SYS file to be used as a STANDARD for ALL Bulletin Board Systems.
This file format has been laid out and will be presented to ALL BBS authors in an attempt to establish a national standard for door program applications.
BBS AUTHORS: I urge you to consider this STANDARD with respect for your 3rd party support authors. Come on guys, make life EASY for us.

I have tried to include EVERYTHING a 3rd party DOOR author would need to provide the SYSOPS with the look and feel they want from an online program while at the same time keeping things plain and simple to ease the problems of interfacing programs with a system.
This type of format is intended to be a "read-only" type of file (although it could be written again) because most BBS's have some sort of other file they use for re-entering the system with (PCBoard uses PCBOARD.SYS) which is harder to read in, and changes frequently. This file format, once established, wouldn't need to be changed EVERYTIME a new version of the BBS software gets released and this would also ease the demand for more info being made available in the BBS Re-Entry file thus making life easier for both parties. If there is something found in the following format that your BBS software may not be currently supporting, a DEFAULT value has been suggested.

KG, Note:
GAP DOES treat this file as Read/Write since GAP does not use or have any use for a Door File. GAP will re-read the DOOR.SYS upon return from a door. But not all fields are re-read. Only those fields that are marked with an '*' will be read by GAP when a caller returns from a door.

When reading this file, you should not go into an EOF loop. In other words, you should not read until you encounter End Of File. Instead, you should read what you KNOW is there. This allows for additions to the end of the file without forcing all programs to be re-compiled.

Note from Jim Harrer:
Beginning with WILDCAT! release 3, we will begin supporting this DOOR.SYS Standard by creating this file in the \WC30\WCWORK\NODEx (x = Node Number) directory. We will NOT read this file back in. If DOORS wish to change any of the callers variables, then the door author should refer to our USERINFO.DAT standard.

Mustang Software will not support any future changes to DOOR.SYS. Other BBS authors must regard this DOOR.SYS as a "Standard" and not change or add to it in any way. DOOR authors can be assured we will not change DOOR.SYS in the future. Any changes we need to make will be done to our USERINFO.DAT standard.

I hope other BBS authors will join us in agreement of not making any additional changes to DOOR.SYS in the future.

Real files do not include the “←- comments”.

COM1:             <-- Comm Port - COM0: = LOCAL MODE
2400              <-- Baud Rate - 300 to 38400
8                 <-- Parity - 7 or 8
1                 <-- Node Number - 1 to 99                    (Default to 1)
19200             <-- DTE Rate. Actual BPS rate to use. (kg)
Y                 <-- Screen Display - Y=On  N=Off             (Default to Y)
Y                 <-- Printer Toggle - Y=On  N=Off             (Default to Y)
Y                 <-- Page Bell      - Y=On  N=Off             (Default to Y)
Y                 <-- Caller Alarm   - Y=On  N=Off             (Default to Y)
Rick Greer        <-- User Full Name
Lewisville, Tx.   <-- Calling From
214 221-7814      <-- Home Phone
214 221-7814      <-- Work/Data Phone
PASSWORD          <-- Password
110              *<-- Security Level
1456              <-- Total Times On
03/14/88          <-- Last Date Called
7560              <-- Seconds Remaining THIS call (for those that particular)
126               <-- Minutes Remaining THIS call
GR                <-- Graphics Mode - GR=Graph, NG=Non-Graph, 7E=7,E Caller
23                <-- Page Length
Y                 <-- User Mode - Y = Expert, N = Novice
1,2,3,4,5,6,7     <-- Conferences/Forums Registered In  (ABCDEFG)
7                 <-- Conference Exited To DOOR From    (G)
01/01/99          <-- User Expiration Date              (mm/dd/yy)
1                 <-- User File's Record Number
Y                 <-- Default Protocol - X, C, Y, G, I, N, Etc.
0                *<-- Total Uploads
0                *<-- Total Downloads
0                *<-- Daily Download "K" Total
999999            <-- Daily Download Max. "K" Limit
10/22/88          <-- Caller's Birthdate                              (kg)
G:\GAP\MAIN       <-- Path to the MAIN directory (where User File is) (kg)
G:\GAP\GEN        <-- Path to the GEN directory                       (kg)
Michael           <-- Sysop's Name (name BBS refers to Sysop as)      (kg)
Stud              <-- Alias name                                      (rc)
00:05             <-- Event time                        (hh:mm)       (rc)
Y                 <-- If its an error correcting connection (Y/N)     (rc)
N                 <-- ANSI supported & caller using NG mode (Y/N)     (rc)
Y                 <-- Use Record Locking                    (Y/N)     (rc)
14                <-- BBS Default Color (Standard IBM color code, ie, 1-15) (rc)
10               *<-- Time Credits In Minutes (positive/negative)     (rc)
07/07/90          <-- Last New Files Scan Date          (mm/dd/yy)    (rc)
14:32             <-- Time of This Call                 (hh:mm)       (rc)
07:30             <-- Time of Last Call                 (hh:mm)       (rc)
6                 <-- Maximum daily files available                   (rc)
3                *<-- Files d/led so far today                        (rc)
23456            *<-- Total "K" Bytes Uploaded                        (rc)
76329            *<-- Total "K" Bytes Downloaded                      (rc)
A File Sucker     <-- User Comment                                    (rc)
10                <-- Total Doors Opened                              (rc)
10283             <-- Total Messages Left                             (rc)

• Original source of information: DOOR.SYS (Archive.org)