libprs500 and larger cover images from LibraryThing/Amazon

Alexander Turcic · 04-03-2008, 03:56 PM

When you fetch a cover image for a book from LibraryThing, it's rather small (140xsomething), causing it to appear very pixelated on the Reader's screen. Now, the images on LibraryThing link to Amazon, and it's easy to change the link to include a larger cover image.

Example:
http://www.librarything.com/work/153691

Links to this cover image:

Removing the SX140 part from the link causes the original large cover image to be downloaded:

In fact, knowing how Amazon builds the cover image urls (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/ + IBAN + .01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg), and given the fact that LibraryThing simply links to the Amazon, it could be just as possible to directly download cover images from Amazon without the need to go via LibraryThing first.

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2008, 04:09 PM

A good observation. Do you know if the Amazon API is stable?

Alexander Turcic · 04-03-2008, 04:22 PM

Kovid, it's not exactly an API but the general image naming scheme Amazon has been using for years. Check out this old blog post from 2005: http://aaugh.com/imageabuse.html

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2008, 04:35 PM

Cool, thanks, I'll switch the cover fetching code for the next release.

Alexander Turcic · 04-03-2008, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Cool, thanks, I'll switch the cover fetching code for the next release.

Alexander Turcic · 04-07-2008, 10:14 AM

Kovid, knowing how LibraryThing fetches the cover images (using IBAN code + Amazon URL), wouldn't it make sense to get rid of LibraryThing all together? You could even automatically fetch the cover from the meta info dialog, once the IBAN number has been determined.

kovidgoyal · 04-07-2008, 10:59 PM

The problem is that libprs500 uses an ISBN number, which it gets from isbndb.com. Amazon doesn't map all the various ISBN numbers to a cover image. LibraryThing does the mapping for me, which is why the code uses it. If you know how that mapping is done, I'll be happy to get rid of the LibraryThing layer.

Alexander Turcic · 04-10-2008, 04:58 PM

Ah, I did not know. Interesting! Do you have an example of a book where a given IBAN does not show the cover image for http://images.amazon.com/images/P/ + IBAN + .01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg?

kovidgoyal · 04-11-2008, 08:06 AM

055325121X this is for david brin's uplift i believe.

Alexander Turcic · 04-12-2008, 05:55 AM

Weird! You're right, better stick to LibraryThing then

04-03-2008, 03:56 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	libprs500 and larger cover images from LibraryThing/Amazon When you fetch a cover image for a book from LibraryThing, it's rather small (140xsomething), causing it to appear very pixelated on the Reader's screen. Now, the images on LibraryThing link to Amazon, and it's easy to change the link to include a larger cover image. Example: http://www.librarything.com/work/153691 Links to this cover image: Removing the SX140 part from the link causes the original large cover image to be downloaded: In fact, knowing how Amazon builds the cover image urls (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/ + IBAN + .01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg), and given the fact that LibraryThing simply links to the Amazon, it could be just as possible to directly download cover images from Amazon without the need to go via LibraryThing first.

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04-03-2008, 04:09 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,842 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	A good observation. Do you know if the Amazon API is stable?

04-03-2008, 04:22 PM	#3
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Kovid, it's not exactly an API but the general image naming scheme Amazon has been using for years. Check out this old blog post from 2005: http://aaugh.com/imageabuse.html

04-03-2008, 04:35 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,842 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Cool, thanks, I'll switch the cover fetching code for the next release.

04-07-2008, 10:14 AM	#6
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Kovid, knowing how LibraryThing fetches the cover images (using IBAN code + Amazon URL), wouldn't it make sense to get rid of LibraryThing all together? You could even automatically fetch the cover from the meta info dialog, once the IBAN number has been determined.

04-07-2008, 10:59 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,842 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The problem is that libprs500 uses an ISBN number, which it gets from isbndb.com. Amazon doesn't map all the various ISBN numbers to a cover image. LibraryThing does the mapping for me, which is why the code uses it. If you know how that mapping is done, I'll be happy to get rid of the LibraryThing layer.

04-10-2008, 04:58 PM	#8
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Ah, I did not know. Interesting! Do you have an example of a book where a given IBAN does not show the cover image for http://images.amazon.com/images/P/ + IBAN + .01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg?

04-11-2008, 08:06 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,842 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	055325121X this is for david brin's uplift i believe.

04-12-2008, 05:55 AM	#10
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,163 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Weird! You're right, better stick to LibraryThing then

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