A command line tool for Windows which beeps through the System Speaker

[Skymmer]

Well, as title says, I'm searching for a command line tool for Windows which beeps through the System Speaker. The deal is that I gonna conduct some long running tests this night and since they oriented for speed measurement then I'm probably will be lie at the sofa and read the book. Since my sofa somehow away from PC and I'm always turning off the monitor then I'll not be able to visually observe the test status. The presence of such tool in my BAT file will allow to alarm me when test is finished. I've googled for such tool but found only these:

http://my.opera.com/zomg/blog/2007/0...the-pc-speaker

Well, its for Windows but it doesn't work for me although I've tried different ways to use it.

http://johnath.com/beep/
http://wiki.przemoc.net/projects/pcspk

These two links somehow connected. PCSPK is based on BEEP. Seems both for Linux and sources are available but no WIN executables.

Does anybody knows something which can help me ?

[encode]

Are you sure that your PC has internal speaker?

My main PC has no such thing...

[Skymmer]

Sure. Just tested it by quickly pressing SHIFT 5 times

[osmanturan]

Try this on commandline:

rundll32 user32.dll,MessageBeep -1

If you don't like the sound then try to change last parameter one of them listed parameters below:

-1
A simple beep. If the sound card is not available, the sound is generated using the speaker.
MB_ICONASTERISK
0x00000040L
See MB_ICONINFORMATION.
MB_ICONEXCLAMATION
0x00000030L
See MB_ICONWARNING.
MB_ICONERROR
0x00000010L
The sound specified as the Windows Critical Stop sound.
MB_ICONHAND
0x00000010L
See MB_ICONERROR.
MB_ICONINFORMATION
0x00000040L
The sound specified as the Windows Asterisk sound.
MB_ICONQUESTION
0x00000020L
The sound specified as the Windows Question sound.
MB_ICONSTOP
0x00000010L
See MB_ICONERROR.
MB_ICONWARNING
0x00000030L
The sound specified as the Windows Exclamation sound.
MB_OK
0x00000000L
The sound specified as the Windows Default Beep sound.

[Skymmer]

Thanks for suggestion man but it doesn't work for my system. The last thing I was able to found is:

http://fly.cc.fer.hr/GDM/articles/sndmus/speaker1.html
http://fly.cc.fer.hr/GDM/articles/sndmus/speaker2.html
http://fly.cc.fer.hr/GDM/articles/sn...es/speaker.zip

The SOUNDS.EXE file from speaker.zip works but it requires that you press some key before its demo starts. Continuing searching...

[LovePimple]

Does this work on your PC?

EDIT: Attachment "beep_test.zip" removed.

[Skymmer]

OHH YEHHH ! It works !!!
Huge thanks from me

I'm also found this working one:
http://www.frank-buss.de/beep/index.html
http://www.frank-buss.de/beep/beep.exe (direct link to exe)

It works with following syntax: beep <frequency in Hz> <duration in ms>
I've also tested capabilities of my PC Speaker and found that it able to reproduce frequencies in range of 37-14500 Hz

Once again, thank you LovePimple and osmanturan for your participation and help. Hooray!

[LovePimple]

I was writing one specially for you (~20 minutes), but you had already found a solution before I finished. You may as well have it anyway...

ENJOY!

Regards,
LovePimple


EDIT: Replaced v0.1 with v0.2. Cleaned up code a little, and added sensible min/max frequency parameter checks for command line.

EDIT: Replaced v0.2 with v0.3. Added duration setting, changed min/max frequency parameters, and updated command line help.

EDIT: Replaced v0.3 with v0.4. Added default beep when no parameters are specified at command line. You now need to use "/?" or "-h" to view help text. Changed all references and filenames from "Winbeep" to "beep". Note: Default beep should work even under Windows Vista x64 and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.

EDIT: Replaced v0.4 with v0.5. Changed name to 'BUZZER' due to a request from Skymmer.

EDIT: Replaced v0.5 with v0.6. Added repeats/repeat rate. Removed default beep - decided I didn't like it.

EDIT: Replaced v0.6 with v0.7. Modified the repeat beep/delay routine. Added beep until key press functionality for zero parameter. Updated command line help to reflect the changes.

[osmanturan]

Once again, thank you LovePimple and osmanturan for your participation and help. Hooray!

You're welcome. But, I really wonder what's your system!? It must be a pre-historic system if you can't run above code. Though, it should run on all windows platform. Really interesting...

[Skymmer]

I was writing one specially for you (~20 minutes), but you had already found a solution before I finished. You may as well have it anyway...

ENJOY!

Regards,
LovePimple

I am really flattered by it. But I wonder why you included the frequency table in console output. Somehow you guessed that I'm related to music writing so here is the track for you. I don't know if you like Drum'n'bass but anyway its just a little dedication. Enjoy!

http://narod.ru/disk/9430814000/Skym...ailed.mp3.html

You're welcome. But, I really wonder what's your system!? It must be a pre-historic system if you can't run above code. Though, it should run on all windows platform. Really interesting...

Windows XP Pro SP2 Eng which surely requires re-installing a long time ago.

[LovePimple]

I am really flattered by it. I don't know if you like Drum'n'bass but anyway its just a little dedication. Enjoy!

http://narod.ru/disk/9430814000/Skym...ailed.mp3.html

Thanks! I look forward to listening to it later today.

Windows XP Pro SP2 Eng which surely requires re-installing a long time ago.

Same as myself. Excellent operating system!

[osmanturan]

I've digged more and figured out that actually RunDLL32 has not similarities as I guessed. Same code didn't work on my WinXP SP2 Eng (VM) but it worked on my primary OS (Native Vista x64 Business). Strange...

[LovePimple]

@ Skymmer

BEEP was updated about five minutes after v0.1 was uploaded. See the edit in my original post.

[Skymmer]

I've just looked into user32.dll exports and found that MessageBeep exist there. So probably the parameters are not accepted although I can be wrong

[Skymmer]

@ Skymmer

BEEP was updated about five minutes after v0.1 was uploaded. See the edit in my original post.

Excellent!

Cleaned up code a little, and added sensible min/max frequency parameter checks for command line.

A little ? It's 38 times smaller
The only thing is missing its a sound duration in ms. I mean BUZZER 1000 2000
I'm also curious why its limited to 5000 hz upper cap?

Anyway, thanks

[osmanturan]

I've just looked into user32.dll exports and found that MessageBeep exist there. So probably the parameters are not accepted although I can be wrong

Yes parameters are correct. But, RunDLL32 works other than I thought. I've read that you can only call a function which strictly written for RunDLL32. For final conclusion, I've also looked at ReactOS sources and voila! You can't call Win32 API with RunDLL32 unless they are written for supporting RunDLL32. Though, some Win32 API could still run.

[Skymmer]

I've just looked into LovePimple's BEEP. Its implemented via KERNEL32.dll,Beep
Its OK but looking into at least here I found that the frequency range is 37 through 32767. Its also OK but I wonder why 37 have been chosen for lower limit. By the way 37 is one of the prime numbers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_numbers

[Skymmer]

BEEP has been updated to v0.3. See my original post for more details.

Very nice! Thanks! Just tested it a little bit and seems OK.
At current state its already the best beep tool available but If you want to create the world dominating beeper than here are couple suggestions from me:
1.) additional parameteres [repeat rate] and [numbers of repeats]
[repeat rate] in ms means, well repeat rate for given tone [numbers of repeats] is self-explainable too so for example with 260 500 1000 3 the 260 Hz tone with 500 ms lenght will be repeated every 1 sec. three times so we can trigger real alarms! If [numbers of repeats] is 0 (zero) than tone will be repeated until some key is pressed.
2.) Is it possible to implement the sliding frequency? I mean 65-440
3.) The name. I think BEEP is too trivial. Furthermore BEEP is already existing. My variants are: Beeper, Buzzer, BiP or even funny Beep-Beep!

Anyway, thanks once again. I love such small tools with extraordinary functionality

EDIT: Ohh, Just saw v0.4 but I'm going for a walk so will look later. Cool !

[LovePimple]

1.) additional parameteres [repeat rate] and [numbers of repeats]
[repeat rate] in ms means, well repeat rate for given tone [numbers of repeats] is self-explainable too so for example with 260 500 1000 3 the 260 Hz tone with 500 ms lenght will be repeated every 1 sec. three times so we can trigger real alarms! If [numbers of repeats] is 0 (zero) than tone will be repeated until some key is pressed.

2.) Is it possible to implement the sliding frequency? I mean 65-440

I will consider these suggestions for future updates.

3.) The name. I think BEEP is too trivial. Furthermore BEEP is already existing. My variants are: Beeper, Buzzer, BiP or even funny Beep-Beep!

OK, As from v0.5, BUZZER is born...

[LovePimple]

Here's another little 'BEEP' type utility for you... This one uses the MessageBeep function to play a user specified selection of preset Windows sounds. It requires Windows 2000 or later, and should work even under Windows Vista x64 and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.

This one will work even if a PC has no internal speaker.


ENJOY!

Regards,
LovePimple

[LovePimple]

Or, you could create your own 'beep' sound as a wave file, and play it back with the WavBeep utility...

Any one of these three utilities is ideal for use with batch files.


EDIT: Attachment "WavBeep01.zip" removed.

[Skymmer]

WinBEEP
At first attempt it didn't work for me. Then I remembered that I turned off Windows sound notifications but after I turned it on - nothing changed. Little later I remembered that I deleted all WAV files in Windows\Media folder so I rebooted into another reserve clean install OS (XP Pro Rus SP3) and everything became fine

WavBEEP
Honestly speaking I don't like its idea. I prefer to read in silence so keep my amplifier turned on and warming just waiting to play some short sequence is certainly not good but I've tested it a little bit and found some issues. Seems it doesn't play some sounds completely. For one 27 sec file it played only ~5.5 sec. (~20%) and for another 60 sec. one it played only 22.3 sec. (~37%)

BUZZER
Oh yeah! I love it
Works fine. Thanks !

[LovePimple]

Thanks for the feedback!

WavBEEP
Honestly speaking I don't like its idea. I prefer to read in silence so keep my amplifier turned on and warming just waiting to play some short sequence is certainly not good but I've tested it a little bit and found some issues. Seems it doesn't play some sounds completely. For one 27 sec file it played only ~5.5 sec. (~20%) and for another 60 sec. one it played only 22.3 sec. (~37%)

This update should fix the problem. I used a batch file to test it on a full album of audio tracks converted to wave files. No problems encountered...

EDIT: Attached a small wave file to use as WavBeep's default beep sound.

[Rugxulo]

Okay, I just had to mention this, even if just for laughs:

C:\TEMP> echo ^G

[Skymmer]

Interesting tip, thanks. But although it works in console I wasn't able to wrap it into BAT file.

[LovePimple]

Buzzer v0.6 has been released. See my original post for more info.

[Skymmer]

Buzzer v0.6 has been released. See my original post for more info.

Charming! Thanks a lot !!! BUZZER almost rules the world
I say almost because I've found a tiny bug. If you use n as [repeats] value then BUZZER buzzes n+1 times. I mean 4 instead 3 for example.

[LovePimple]

Charming! Thanks a lot !!! BUZZER almost rules the world
I say almost because I've found a tiny bug. If you use n as [repeats] value then BUZZER buzzes n+1 times. I mean 4 instead 3 for example.

This was intentional. It beeps once, then repeats n times. I can easily change this for the next release if you are not happy.

[Skymmer]

Aha. I follow your logic so from this point of view it would be better to rename repeats to number of beeps and repeat rate to delay between beeps. Also as I see repeats and repeat rate are optional parameters so if user don't use them then let BUZZER beep 1 time and if user assign repeats (number of beeps) value then let BUZZER beep this value times. Also, since some parameters are optional and other are mandatory then from cosmetical point of view it would be better to give the following console help:

BUZZER <frequency> <duration> [number of beeps] [delay between beeps]

Also if user assign [number of beeps] but don't uses [delay between beeps] then BUZZER uses minimal 10 ms as default which is too small and basicly unnoticeable. I think 300 as default should be fine.

Buzz buzz buzz

[LovePimple]

OK! Buzzer v0.7 has now been released. I have updated it with all of your requested modifications apart from the 10 ms default delay. See my original post for more info.