improving book cover fetching

web/app/resources.py

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from .models import Resource
 from werkzeug.exceptions import abort
 from . import db
 from isbntools.app import *
+import requests
 
 # function to retrieve data about a single resource from the database
 def get_resource(resource_id):
@@ -42,9 +43,18 @@ def get_filter_values(field):
     return field_filter
 
 def get_book_data(isbn):
-    try:
+    #try:
         book = meta(isbn)
-        book.update(cover(isbn))
+        description = {'desc': desc(isbn)}
+        book.update(description)
+        # get highest-resolution book cover possible
+        openl_url = 'https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/isbn/' + book['ISBN-13'] + '-L.jpg?default=false'
+        request = requests.get(openl_url)
+        if request.status_code != 200:
+            book.update(cover(isbn))
+        else:
+            book_cover = {'thumbnail': openl_url}
+            book.update(book_cover)
         return book
-    except: 
-        pass
+    #except: 
+    #    pass

web/app/templates/book.html

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 {% block content %}
 
     {% if book['thumbnail'] %}
-        <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src={{ book['thumbnail'] }} alt="cover for {{ book['Title'] }}">
+        <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block py-3" src={{ book['thumbnail'] }} alt="cover for {{ book['Title'] }}">
     {% else %}
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col">
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
                             </th>
                             <td>
                                 {% for author in book['Authors'] %}
-                                    {{ author }}, 
+                                    {{ author }}
                                 {% endfor %}
                             </td>
                             {% else %}
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@
                             </td>
                         </tr>
                         {% endif %}
+                        {% if book['desc'] %}
+                        <tr>
+                            <th>
+                                Summary:
+                            </th>
+                            <td>
+                                {{ book['desc'] }}
+                            </td>
+                        </tr>
+                        {% endif %}
                     {% else %}
                         <!-- fields for books from database -->
                         {% if resource['name'] %}

web/requirements.txt

@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ flask-moment
 gunicorn
 pymysql
 markdown
-isbntools
+isbntools
+requests