Console.Beep Method

Definition

Namespace:

System

Assemblies:

netstandard.dll, System.Console.dll

Plays the sound of a beep through the console speaker.

Overloads

Beep()	Plays the sound of a beep through the console speaker.
Beep(Int32, Int32)	Plays the sound of a beep of a specified frequency and duration through the console speaker.

Beep()

Source:

Console.cs

Plays the sound of a beep through the console speaker.

C#

[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("android")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("browser")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("ios")]
[System.Runtime.Versioning.UnsupportedOSPlatform("tvos")]
public static void Beep();

Attributes

UnsupportedOSPlatformAttribute

Exceptions

HostProtectionException

This method was executed on a server, such as SQL Server, that does not permit access to a user interface.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the Beep method. The example accepts a number from 1 through 9 as a command line argument, and plays the beep that number of times.

C#

// This example demonstrates the Console.Beep() method.
using System;

class Sample
{
    public static void Main(String[] args)
    {
    int x = 0;
//
    if ((args.Length == 1) &&
        (Int32.TryParse(args[0], out x)) &&
        ((x >= 1) && (x <= 9)))
        {
        for (int i = 1; i <= x; i++)
            {
            Console.WriteLine("Beep number {0}.", i);
            Console.Beep();
            }
        }
    else
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Usage: Enter the number of times (between 1 and 9) to beep.");
        }
    }
}
/*
This example produces the following results:

>beep
Usage: Enter the number of times (between 1 and 9) to beep

>beep 9
Beep number 1.
Beep number 2.
Beep number 3.
Beep number 4.
Beep number 5.
Beep number 6.
Beep number 7.
Beep number 8.
Beep number 9.

*/

Remarks

By default, the beep plays at a frequency of 800 hertz for a duration of 200 milliseconds.

Beep wraps a call to the Windows Beep function. Whether Beep produces a sound on versions of Windows before Windows 7 depends on the presence of a 8254 programmable interval timer chip. Starting with Windows 7, it depends on the default sound device.

Beep(Int32, Int32)

Source:

Console.cs

Plays the sound of a beep of a specified frequency and duration through the console speaker.

C#

[System.Runtime.Versioning.SupportedOSPlatform("windows")]
public static void Beep(int frequency, int duration);

Parameters

frequency

Int32

The frequency of the beep, ranging from 37 to 32767 hertz.

duration

Int32

The duration of the beep measured in milliseconds.

Attributes

SupportedOSPlatformAttribute

Exceptions

ArgumentOutOfRangeException

frequency is less than 37 or more than 32767 hertz.

-or-

duration is less than or equal to zero.

HostProtectionException

This method was executed on a server, such as SQL Server, that does not permit access to the console.

PlatformNotSupportedException

The current operating system is not Windows.

Examples

This example demonstrates the Beep method by playing the first few notes of a song through the console speaker.

C#

// This example demonstrates the Console.Beep(Int32, Int32) method
using System;
using System.Threading;

class Sample
{
    public static void Main()
    {
// Declare the first few notes of the song, "Mary Had A Little Lamb".
    Note[] Mary =
        {
        new Note(Tone.B, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.A, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.GbelowC, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.A, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.B, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.B, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.B, Duration.HALF),
        new Note(Tone.A, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.A, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.A, Duration.HALF),
        new Note(Tone.B, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.D, Duration.QUARTER),
        new Note(Tone.D, Duration.HALF)
        };
// Play the song
    Play(Mary);
    }

// Play the notes in a song.
    protected static void Play(Note[] tune)
    {
    foreach (Note n in tune)
        {
        if (n.NoteTone == Tone.REST)
            Thread.Sleep((int)n.NoteDuration);
        else
            Console.Beep((int)n.NoteTone, (int)n.NoteDuration);
        }
    }

// Define the frequencies of notes in an octave, as well as
// silence (rest).
    protected enum Tone
    {
    REST   = 0,
    GbelowC = 196,
    A      = 220,
    Asharp = 233,
    B      = 247,
    C      = 262,
    Csharp = 277,
    D      = 294,
    Dsharp = 311,
    E      = 330,
    F      = 349,
    Fsharp = 370,
    G      = 392,
    Gsharp = 415,
    }

// Define the duration of a note in units of milliseconds.
    protected enum Duration
    {
    WHOLE     = 1600,
    HALF      = WHOLE/2,
    QUARTER   = HALF/2,
    EIGHTH    = QUARTER/2,
    SIXTEENTH = EIGHTH/2,
    }

// Define a note as a frequency (tone) and the amount of
// time (duration) the note plays.
    protected struct Note
    {
    Tone     toneVal;
    Duration durVal;

// Define a constructor to create a specific note.
    public Note(Tone frequency, Duration time)
        {
        toneVal = frequency;
        durVal  = time;
        }

// Define properties to return the note's tone and duration.
    public Tone NoteTone { get{ return toneVal; } }
    public Duration NoteDuration { get{ return durVal; } }
    }
}
/*
This example produces the following results:

This example plays the first few notes of "Mary Had A Little Lamb"
through the console speaker.
*/

Remarks

Beep wraps a call to the Windows Beep function. Whether Beep produces a sound on versions of Windows before Windows 7 depends on the presence of a 8254 programmable interval timer chip. Starting with Windows 7, it depends on the default sound device.