🔥 Prince Error Sound — VS Code Extension

A Visual Studio Code extension that plays a custom Prince sound effect whenever a program executed through VS Code/Code Runner finishes with an error.

The goal is simple:

Code fails → Prince plays. 🔊👑

📌 Features

🔊 Plays a custom prince.mp3 sound when an execution fails.
💻 Designed for Windows.
🧑‍💻 Works with JavaScript, Python, Node.js, and other languages that can be executed through VS Code/Code Runner.
⚡ Uses Windows PowerShell MediaPlayer for audio playback.
🪶 Lightweight extension with no external audio application required.
🛠️ Can be launched and debugged directly from VS Code using F5.
📋 Logs extension activity in the VS Code Debug Console.

🖥️ Requirements

Operating System

Currently supported:

✅ Windows 10
✅ Windows 11

The extension currently uses:

powershell.exe
System.Windows.Media.MediaPlayer
PresentationCore

Therefore, the current implementation is Windows-specific.

Linux/macOS support would require a different audio implementation.

🧰 Required Software

1. Visual Studio Code

Install VS Code.

The extension is developed and tested using VS Code's Extension Development Host.

2. Node.js

Node.js is required for extension development and package management.

Recommended:

Node.js LTS
npm

Check installation:

node --version
npm --version

Example:

Node.js: v26.x
npm: 11.x

If PowerShell blocks npm.ps1, use:

npm.cmd --version

and:

npm.cmd install

3. Code Runner

The extension is designed to work with executions made through:

Code Runner by Jun Han

Install it from the VS Code Extensions marketplace.

Search:

Code Runner

📁 Project Structure

The project should look like this:

Prince-Extension/
│
├── .vscode/
│   └── launch.json
│
├── sounds/
│   └── prince.mp3
│
├── extension.js
├── package.json
├── package-lock.json
├── test.js
│
└── extension.backup.js

🔊 Sound File Requirement

The extension expects the sound file at:

sounds/prince.mp3

Therefore:

Prince-Extension/
└── sounds/
    └── prince.mp3

The file must be named exactly:

prince.mp3

The extension constructs the path automatically:

const soundFile = path.join(
    context.extensionPath,
    'sounds',
    'prince.mp3'
);

📦 package.json

The extension metadata is defined in package.json.

Example:

{
    "name": "prince-error-sound",
    "displayName": "Prince Error Sound",
    "description": "Plays a custom sound when a coding error occurs.",
    "version": "0.0.1",
    "publisher": "ritesh",
    "engines": {
        "vscode": "^1.85.0"
    },
    "main": "./extension.js",
    "activationEvents": [
        "*"
    ],
    "categories": [
        "Other"
    ],
    "dependencies": {
        "play-sound": "^1.1.6"
    }
}

Note: The current extension.js uses PowerShell directly for playback, so play-sound is not required by the current implementation. It may be removed later if we decide not to use it.

📥 Installing Dependencies

Open PowerShell in the project directory:

cd C:\Users\ritesh\Desktop\Prince-Extension

Then:

npm.cmd install

If play-sound is listed as a dependency:

npm.cmd install play-sound

Verify:

npm.cmd list play-sound

🐛 Development Setup

1. Open the project

Open:

C:\Users\ritesh\Desktop\Prince-Extension

in VS Code.

2. Configure debugging

Create:

.vscode/launch.json

Example:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Run Prince Extension",
            "type": "extensionHost",
            "request": "launch",
            "runtimeExecutable": "${execPath}",
            "args": [
                "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}"
            ]
        }
    ]
}

▶️ Running the Extension

Open:

Run and Debug

using:

Ctrl + Shift + D

Select:

Run Prince Extension

Then press:

F5

VS Code should open a new:

Extension Development Host

window.

✅ Confirming the Extension Is Running

In the Debug Console, you should see:

🔥 PRINCE ERROR SOUND EXTENSION IS ACTIVE 🔥

and:

👂 Waiting for Code Runner errors...

This confirms that:

The extension loaded.
extension.js was executed.
The activate() function ran successfully.

🧪 Testing

Create a test JavaScript file:

console.log(x);

Since x isn't defined, Node.js should produce:

ReferenceError: x is not defined

and Code Runner should finish with:

[Done] exited with code=1

The extension should detect the non-zero exit code and play:

sounds/prince.mp3

🔊 Testing Audio Independently

Before debugging the extension, test whether Windows can play the MP3.

Run this in PowerShell:

$sound = "C:\Users\ritesh\Desktop\Prince-Extension\sounds\prince.mp3"

Add-Type -AssemblyName PresentationCore

$p = New-Object System.Windows.Media.MediaPlayer

$p.Open([Uri]::new($sound))

Start-Sleep -Seconds 2

$p.Play()

Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

$p.Stop()

$p.Close()

If you hear the sound:

🔊 Audio system working

If you don't:

🔇 Investigate Windows audio/file path

🔍 Verify Sound File

Run:

Test-Path "C:\Users\ritesh\Desktop\Prince-Extension\sounds\prince.mp3"

Expected:

True

If it returns:

False

the MP3 is missing or the path is incorrect.

🧠 How the Extension Works

The extension starts when VS Code activates it.

VS Code
   │
   ▼
extension.js
   │
   ▼
activate()
   │
   ▼
Wait for execution
   │
   ▼
Program runs
   │
   ├── Success → Do nothing
   │
   └── Error
        │
        ▼
   Detect non-zero exit code
        │
        ▼
   playPrinceSound()
        │
        ▼
   powershell.exe
        │
        ▼
   Windows MediaPlayer
        │
        ▼
   prince.mp3 🔊👑

🔧 Audio Implementation

The current implementation uses Node.js:

const { execFile } = require('child_process');

PowerShell is launched using:

execFile(
    'powershell.exe',
    [...]
);

PowerShell loads:

PresentationCore

and creates:

System.Windows.Media.MediaPlayer

The MP3 is then played for approximately 10 seconds.

📋 Debug Logs

The extension prints messages into the VS Code Debug Console.

Extension started

🔥 PRINCE ERROR SOUND EXTENSION IS ACTIVE 🔥

Waiting

👂 Waiting for Code Runner errors...

Execution detected

💻 Terminal finished: ...

Exit code

📊 Exit code: 1

Error detected

❌ Failed terminal command detected!

Sound starting

🔊 Playing Prince sound...

Sound successfully launched

✅ Prince sound played!

⚠️ Important: Code Runner vs Integrated Terminal

There is an important distinction between:

Integrated Terminal

Example:

node test.js

and:

Code Runner

Example:

[Running] node "test.js"

...

[Done] exited with code=1

These are not necessarily exposed to VS Code through the same API.

The original extension used:

vscode.window.onDidEndTerminalShellExecution

This works with terminal shell execution events, but Code Runner's output may be handled differently.

Therefore, Code Runner detection is the main area of the extension that may require further implementation.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Problem: `npm` is not recognized

Check:

node --version

If Node works but npm gives an execution-policy error, use:

npm.cmd --version

and:

npm.cmd install

Problem: Extension does not activate

Check:

Run and Debug

and make sure:

Run Prince Extension

is selected.

Then press:

F5

Look for:

🔥 PRINCE ERROR SOUND EXTENSION IS ACTIVE 🔥

Problem: Python F5 runs instead

This means VS Code is using the Python debugger instead of the extension debugger.

Open:

Run and Debug

and select:

Run Prince Extension

before pressing F5.

Problem: Sound doesn't play

First test the MP3 directly with the PowerShell audio test in this README.

If direct playback works but the extension doesn't play it, the problem is most likely error detection, not audio.

Problem: JavaScript error occurs but no sound

Example:

ReferenceError: x is not defined

followed by:

[Done] exited with code=1

If there is no:

🔊 Playing Prince sound...

then the extension didn't detect Code Runner's failure.

Check the Debug Console.

🧹 Backup

Before making major changes to extension.js, create a backup:

Copy-Item extension.js extension.backup.js

Restore it with:

Copy-Item extension.backup.js extension.js

🚀 Future Improvements

Potential future versions can add:

🔊 Different sounds for different error types.
🎵 Random Prince sounds.
⏱️ Configurable sound duration.
🔇 Enable/disable sound.
🎚️ Volume control.
🧑‍💻 Per-language configuration.
📝 Error-type detection.
🐍 Python support.
🟨 JavaScript/Node.js support.
☕ Java support.
🐘 PHP support.
🦀 Rust support.
🐹 Go support.
🐳 Docker command failure detection.
🖥️ Cross-platform Linux/macOS audio support.
⚙️ VS Code settings for customization.
🔔 Desktop notifications.
📊 Error statistics.

📌 Current Status

Component	Status
VS Code extension	✅
`extension.js`	✅
Extension activation	✅
Windows support	✅
PowerShell audio	✅
`prince.mp3` playback	✅
Node.js	✅
npm	✅
Code Runner	✅ Installed
JavaScript execution	✅
Error detection	🔧 In development
Automatic Prince sound on Code Runner error	🔧 In development
Linux support	❌
macOS support	❌

👑 Project Goal

The final experience should be:

Write code
    ↓
Run code
    ↓
    ├── ✅ Successful
    │      ↓
    │   Nothing happens
    │
    └── ❌ Error
           ↓
       🔊 PRINCE!