View source for Door (bulletin board system)

{{Short description|Interface between an external application and a BBS}}
In a [[bulletin board system]] (BBS), a '''door''' is an interface between the BBS software and an external application.<ref>{{cite journal|title=A Glossary of BBS Terms|journal=InfoWorld|date=15 Aug 1988|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzoEAAAAMBAJ&q=BBS+door&pg=PA41|page=41}}</ref> The term is also used to refer to the external application, a [[computer program]] that runs outside of the main bulletin board program. Sometimes called ''external programs'', doors are the most common way to add games, utilities, and other extensions to BBSes.<ref name="wolf explosion">{{cite book|last=Wolf|first=Mark J P|title=The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to PlayStation and Beyond|year=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&q=BBS+door&pg=PA155|page=155|isbn=9780313338687}}</ref> Because BBSes typically depended on the telephone system, BBSes and door programs tended to be local in nature, unlike modern Internet games and applications.<ref name="wolf explosion"/>
From the 1990s on, most BBS software had the capability to "drop to" doors. Several standards were developed for passing connection and user information to doors; this was usually done with "dropfiles", small binary or text files dropped into known locations in the BBS's [[file system]]. Most doors were responsible for operating the [[serial port]] or other communications device directly until returning control to the BBS.  Later development of [[FOSSIL]] drivers have allowed both BBSes and their doors to communicate without being responsible for direct operation of the communications hardware.
== Door games ==
A major use of doors is for ''door games'': [[PC game|computer games]] played on the BBS.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBS Door games|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/bbs-door-games|work=Moby Games|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref>  These games included strategy games such as ''[[TradeWars 2002]]'', ''Food Fight!'',<ref name="PC Magazine">{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=October 1, 2010 |title=The Internet's Forgotten Games: BBS Door Games |url=https://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0%2C3253%2Cl%3D255130%26a%3D255131%26po%3D10%2C00.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604214853/http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0%2C3253%2Cl%3D255130%26a%3D255131%26po%3D10%2C00.asp |archive-date=June 4, 2016 |accessdate=May 28, 2016 |work=PC Magazine |postscript=Slide 10 of 12. }}</ref> ''Solar Realms Elite'',<ref name="wolf encyclopedia">{{cite book|last=Wolf|first=Mark J P|title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming|year=2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|page=568}}</ref> ''Space Dynasty'', Usurper,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wolf|first1=Mark|title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: A-L|date=2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-37936-9|page=80}}</ref> and ''Barren Realms Elite''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morrow|first=Blaine Victor|title=Dial Up!: Gale's Bulletin Board Locator|year=1996|publisher=Gale}}</ref>  There were also [[role-playing game]]s (RPG), often derived from earlier [[Play-by-mail game|email-based games]]—examples include [[Seth Robinson]]'s ''[[Legend of the Red Dragon]]'',<ref>{{cite book|last=Tresca|first=Michael J|title=The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games|year=2010|publisher=McFarland|pages=93–94}}</ref> popular dystopian RPG: ''Operation: Overkill,''<ref name="PC Magazine"/> and ''Mutants!''. BBSes often published high scores, encouraging players to beat others.<ref name="shefski199305">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=106 | title=A survey of gems to be found on private bulletin board systems | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=May 1993 | accessdate=7 July 2014 | author=Shefski, William J. | pages=64}}</ref>
InterBBS leagues allowed users of different BBSes to compete against each other in the same game. A modern version of this known as BBSlink exists allowing [[sysop]]s to offer door games on their BBS which are hosted on a remote server, thereby increasing the user base of the game.
== Other applications ==
While many of the most popular and memorable BBS doors have been games, numerous doors had non-entertainment applications such as user polls or the [[time bank (BBS)|time bank]], permitting users to time-shift their rationed BBS use.  Frequently they act as a front-end to themed databases on subject such as astrology, numerology and fortune-telling, recipes, weather prediction, personal ads (sometimes with additional match-making functionality), classified ads and "for sale" listings (sometimes permitting auctions), BBS lists, and parting comments from the most recent BBS callers.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://breakintochat.com/ Break Into Chat] - BBS door game wiki
* [http://archives.thebbs.org/ BBS Archives] - Collection of BBS doors and related files
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140814175202/http://goldfndr.home.mindspring.com/dropfile/ Dropfile Formats]
{{BBS}}
[[Category:Bulletin board systems]]
[[Category:Bulletin board system software| ]]
[[Category:Door games| ]]