How to Make Your Python Program Beep on macOS

If you’re a developer who works with Python on a macOS system, you might want to enhance your applications with sound alerts to notify you upon completion of tasks. Instead of announcing completion with text-to-speech, you can simply add a beep sound to your program. In this post, we’ll help you solve this challenge in a straightforward way.

The Problem

You want your Python script to play a sound when it finishes executing. You’ve tried to use the built-in print function to generate a beep using the escape character \a, but it hasn’t worked for you. You’ve also looked into the Cocoa framework and its NSBeep function but realized it doesn’t directly apply to your Python context. Let’s explore an effective solution to achieve that desired beep sound.

The Solution

To make your Python program beep on macOS, you can use a couple of different methods. Below are the two most effective approaches you can take:

Method 1: Using sys.stdout.write()

The first method involves using the sys module to write the beep character directly to the standard output. Here’s how you can do that:

import sys
sys.stdout.write('\a')
sys.stdout.flush()

• Explanation:
  • import sys: This imports the sys module which provides access to some variables used or maintained by the interpreter.
  • sys.stdout.write('\a'): Writes the alert (beep) character to the standard output.
  • sys.stdout.flush(): Ensures that the output is written immediately.

This method works seamlessly on macOS and will produce a beep sound when executed.

Method 2: Modifying Your Original Attempt

If you prefer using the print function, you can modify your original attempt slightly. Instead of:

print(\a)

You should use:

print('\a')

• Explanation:
  • Ensure that you’re using single quotes around the \a character sequence. The corrected code will send the alert character to the terminal output, causing the beep to sound.

Conclusion

Incorporating sound alerts into your Python applications on macOS doesn’t have to be complicated. By using either the sys module or correcting your print statement, you can easily notify yourself with a simple beep sound upon task completion. Try these methods in your scripts and never miss another completion alert again!

Feel free to experiment with these techniques and enhance your programming experience. Happy coding!