Making the computer speaker beep

[Anon Email]

Hi everyone,

Let's see, now. This question is about the capabilities of ANSI C++. I
want to write and compile code in ANSI C++ that, when compiled, will
make the computer speaker beep; or, at least, SHOULD make the computer
speaker beep. I know that whether the computer speaker actually beeps
or not is largely dependent on the OS I'm using. But I'm not so much
concerned about that (at this stage). I just want to know if ANSI C++
provides for this functionality. I'm only interested in ANSI C++, and
not C++ prior to standardization or non-standard C++. I don't want to
know about workarounds in Assembly or another programming language -
this is strictly an ANSI C++ question.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Deets

[Gianni Mariani]

Anon Email wrote:

Hi everyone,

Let's see, now. This question is about the capabilities of ANSI C++. I
want to write and compile code in ANSI C++ that, when compiled, will
make the computer speaker beep; or, at least, SHOULD make the computer
speaker beep. I know that whether the computer speaker actually beeps
or not is largely dependent on the OS I'm using. But I'm not so much
concerned about that (at this stage). I just want to know if ANSI C++
provides for this functionality. I'm only interested in ANSI C++, and
not C++ prior to standardization or non-standard C++. I don't want to
know about workarounds in Assembly or another programming language -
this is strictly an ANSI C++ question.

Any help greatly appreciated.

There is NO strictly C++ standard API to make and audible beep.

This is platform specific and you may need to use or create a
compatability library to perform this "portably" across all platforms.

Hint - GUI's usually have somw way of doing this.

[jbruno4000]

>Hi everyone,

Let's see, now. This question is about the capabilities of ANSI C++. I
want to write and compile code in ANSI C++ that, when compiled, will
make the computer speaker beep; or, at least, SHOULD make the computer
speaker beep. I know that whether the computer speaker actually beeps
or not is largely dependent on the OS I'm using. But I'm not so much
concerned about that (at this stage). I just want to know if ANSI C++
provides for this functionality. I'm only interested in ANSI C++, and
not C++ prior to standardization or non-standard C++. I don't want to
know about workarounds in Assembly or another programming language -
this is strictly an ANSI C++ question.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Deets

I don't know which compiler you're using but with my Borland 5.5 Standard
Edition compiler, From the tools drop down menu, I select 'Environment
Options', Preferences tab, and I can select the compiler option to "Beep on
completion".

JB

[Jack Klein]

On 22 Nov 2003 19:44:49 -0800, an********@fast mail.fm (Anon Email)
wrote in comp.lang.c++:

Hi everyone,

Let's see, now. This question is about the capabilities of ANSI C++. I
want to write and compile code in ANSI C++ that, when compiled, will
make the computer speaker beep; or, at least, SHOULD make the computer
speaker beep. I know that whether the computer speaker actually beeps
or not is largely dependent on the OS I'm using. But I'm not so much
concerned about that (at this stage). I just want to know if ANSI C++
provides for this functionality. I'm only interested in ANSI C++, and
not C++ prior to standardization or non-standard C++. I don't want to
know about workarounds in Assembly or another programming language -
this is strictly an ANSI C++ question.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Deets

The closest you can get in standard C++, or standard C either for that
matter, is to send the '\a' escape sequence to the standard output,
either the stdout stream or the cout object.

The C++ standard inherits this from C, and since it does not supply a
different definition it inherits the one from the C standard:

"\a (alert) Produces an audible or visible alert without changing the
active position."

On most common desktop systems, it produces a beep from the speaker,
assuming the computer has one.

--
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
FAQs for
comp.lang.c http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html
comp.lang.c++ http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/
alt.comp.lang.l earn.c-c++ ftp://snurse-l.org/pub/acllc-c++/faq

[440gtx]

cout << '\a';

[Julián Albo]

Anon Email escribió:

Let's see, now. This question is about the capabilities of ANSI C++. I
want to write and compile code in ANSI C++ that, when compiled, will
make the computer speaker beep; or, at least, SHOULD make the computer

cout << '\a' << flush;

Regards.

[Anon Email]

Thanks guys,

So it IS possible, by coding for the specific OS in question? I'm not
concerned about portability (yet), I just want to know if it's
possible using ANSI C++ only. Also, I should have added that I didn't
want to do it via escape sequences - that I wanted to produce an
audible beep at a particular frequency and for a given length (sorry
about that). I know it's possible with non-standard C++, but my
question relates to ANSI C++.

Actually, now I have another question: are the beeps that result from
escape sequences a result of code designated in the C++ standard
header files/ library or are they generated by the IDE? Or perhaps
they're a response of the OS to the code? Basically, I want to know if
"/a", for example, calls some sort of beep routine inherent in
standard C++, and where this routine is stored? Help much appreciated.

Cheers,

Deets

[lilburne]

Anon Email wrote:

Actually, now I have another question: are the beeps that result from
escape sequences a result of code designated in the C++ standard
header files/ library or are they generated by the IDE? Or perhaps
they're a response of the OS to the code? Basically, I want to know if
"/a", for example, calls some sort of beep routine inherent in
standard C++, and where this routine is stored? Help much appreciated.

Its a system response and whether that response relies in
the device driver, shell, or somewhere else is defined in
your system documents.

[Rolf Magnus]

Anon Email wrote:

Thanks guys,

So it IS possible, by coding for the specific OS in question? I'm not
concerned about portability (yet), I just want to know if it's
possible using ANSI C++ only.

Well, the proposed way is quite likely to produce a beep if possible.
You don't get more than that.
Also, I should have added that I didn't
want to do it via escape sequences - that I wanted to produce an
audible beep at a particular frequency and for a given length (sorry
about that). I know it's possible with non-standard C++, but my
question relates to ANSI C++.
Then the answer is "no". The C++ standard doesn't even say that it has
to be a beep, and so it doesn't let you set a frequency or length.
The C++ standard actually doens't say anything except that \a mean
alert. I don't know if it inherits the definition from C, and I don't
have the C89 standard, but C99 only says:

\a (alert) Produces an audible or visible alert without changing the
active position.
Actually, now I have another question: are the beeps that result from
escape sequences a result of code designated in the C++ standard
header files/ library or are they generated by the IDE?
The IDE doesn't generate anything at your program's run time. An IDE is
an environment for editing, debugging and compiling your source code.
Or perhaps they're a response of the OS to the code?
It's not defined by the standard where the alert signal comes from or
how it is generated. It's totally up to the implementation. It might
even be a flashing screen (which most Un*x terminals support to
compensate for a possibly missint speaker) instead of a beep.
Basically, I want to know if
"/a", for example, calls some sort of beep routine inherent in
standard C++, and where this routine is stored? Help much appreciated.

No.

[Anon Email]

> > Basically, I want to know if

"/a", for example, calls some sort of beep routine inherent in
standard C++, and where this routine is stored? Help much appreciated.

No.

Great answers guys. Sorry for all the questions, but I'm rather
inquisitive. I have another one.

Behind this "/a" escape sequence there has to exist some code, right?
Let's forget the results for the moment - whether or not it produces a
speaker beep, a soundcard beep, a flashing screen etc.. Somewhere in
the ANSI C++ libraries (or whatever) there must exist a directive
(code) that replaces "/a" when the code gets compiled. This directive
must include in it code that tells the OS to produce a beep, etc.. The
directive has to exist, or the operating system wouldn't produce the
response!

Is there a way to "view" this directive (code)? Where does this code
lie? Also, Rolf, would you mind telling me where you got this
information?:

C99 only says:

\a (alert) Produces an audible or visible alert without changing the
active position.

Thanks once again for all your help.

Deets