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Overview

This function constructs the URL to access the cover image for a specific book using the book’s ID and the API endpoint host configured in your application.

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Function Signature

getCoverUrl(bookId: number): string

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Parameters

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bookId
number
required
The unique identifier of the book

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Returns

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string
string
The complete URL to the book’s cover image in JPG format

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Examples

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Get Single Cover URL

import { getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

const coverUrl = getCoverUrl(26592);
console.log(coverUrl);
// Output: "https://api.shamela.ws/covers/26592.jpg"

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Generate Cover URLs for Multiple Books

import { getMaster, getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

const master = await getMaster();

// Generate cover URLs for all books
const booksWithCovers = master.books.map(book => ({
  id: book.id,
  name: book.name,
  coverUrl: getCoverUrl(book.id)
}));

console.log(booksWithCovers[0]);
// {
//   id: 26592,
//   name: "صحيح البخاري",
//   coverUrl: "https://api.shamela.ws/covers/26592.jpg"
// }

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Display Cover in React Component

jsx
import { getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

interface BookCardProps {
  bookId: number;
  title: string;
}

function BookCard({ bookId, title }: BookCardProps) {
  const coverUrl = getCoverUrl(bookId);
  
  return (
    <div className="book-card">
      <img 
        src={coverUrl} 
        alt={`Cover of ${title}`}
        onError={(e) => {
          // Fallback for missing covers
          e.currentTarget.src = '/placeholder-cover.jpg';
        }}
      />
      <h3>{title}</h3>
    </div>
  );
}

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Download Cover Image (Node.js)

import { getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';
import { writeFile } from 'fs/promises';

async function downloadCover(bookId: number) {
  const coverUrl = getCoverUrl(bookId);
  
  const response = await fetch(coverUrl);
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw new Error(`Failed to download cover: ${response.status}`);
  }
  
  const buffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
  await writeFile(`./covers/${bookId}.jpg`, Buffer.from(buffer));
  
  console.log(`Cover saved for book ${bookId}`);
}

await downloadCover(26592);

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Preload Covers for Better UX

import { getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

function preloadCovers(bookIds: number[]) {
  bookIds.forEach(id => {
    const img = new Image();
    img.src = getCoverUrl(id);
  });
}

// Preload covers for visible books
preloadCovers([26592, 23, 6126]);

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Check Cover Availability

import { getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

async function checkCoverExists(bookId: number): Promise<boolean> {
  const coverUrl = getCoverUrl(bookId);
  
  try {
    const response = await fetch(coverUrl, { method: 'HEAD' });
    return response.ok;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
}

const hasCover = await checkCoverExists(26592);
console.log(`Cover exists: ${hasCover}`);

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Cover Image Details

  • Format: JPEG (.jpg)
  • Hosted on Shamela’s CDN
  • Not all books have cover images
  • Typical dimensions: varies by book
  • No authentication required for cover images

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Handling Missing Covers

Some books may not have cover images available. Always implement fallback handling:
function getCoverWithFallback(bookId: number): string {
  return getCoverUrl(bookId);
}

// In your UI
<img 
  src={getCoverWithFallback(bookId)}
  onError={(e) => {
    e.currentTarget.src = '/default-book-cover.jpg';
  }}
  alt="Book cover"
/>

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Configuration Requirements

This function uses the masterPatchEndpoint configuration to determine the API host:
import { configure, getCoverUrl } from 'shamela';

configure({
  masterPatchEndpoint: 'https://api.shamela.ws/api/master_patch'
});

// Now getCoverUrl will use https://api.shamela.ws as the host
const url = getCoverUrl(26592);
// Returns: "https://api.shamela.ws/covers/26592.jpg"

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Error Handling

This function throws an error when:
  • Required configuration (masterPatchEndpoint) is not set
  • Invalid URL cannot be constructed
try {
  const coverUrl = getCoverUrl(26592);
  console.log(coverUrl);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Failed to generate cover URL:', error.message);
}

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Best Practices

  1. Cache cover URLs - The URL for a given book ID never changes
  2. Lazy load images - Use loading=“lazy” for better performance
  3. Provide fallbacks - Not all books have covers
  4. Optimize delivery - Consider using an image CDN proxy
  5. Responsive images - Add srcset if you have multiple sizes