# Ability to create DICOM archive for more than one study
**URL:** https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599
**Category:** General
**Tags:** rest-api
**Created:** [June 8, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599 "2023-06-08T14:54:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BNOEAFK](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/BNOEAFK)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/1 "2023-06-08T14:54:24Z")
I understand that (as [per the docs](https://api.orthanc-server.com/#tag/Studies/paths/~1studies~1%7Bid%7D~1archive/post)) an archive can be generated by using a POST to /studies/{id}/archive. This would include the DICOMDIR of course.
I appreciate that performing the same archive on the /patients/{id}/archive but then that would (I assume) include _all_ studies and I have the requirement to only zip up select studies.
Is it possible to create one archive of select studies? If so, what does the URL look like?
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### Author:  [@BNOEAFK](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/BNOEAFK)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2023, 3:31pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/2 "2023-06-08T15:31:26Z")
Ah ha! `/tools/create-media` with a list of resources looks like exactly what I’m after, I believe?
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### Author:  [@BNOEAFK](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/BNOEAFK)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/3 "2023-06-08T16:06:29Z")
Ok - thanks for bearing with me everyone! Last question (which I don’t think I can answer myself)…
When creating either an archive or media, I see that it can be downloaded using the `job/{id}/archive > download.zip` format … but after downloading, I would like to then reclaim the disk space used, but I don’t see in the API the ability to DELETE the archive after a download.
I would imagine that I could use something like
`curl --request DELETE --url http://localhost:8042/jobs/{id}/archive` but that’s not listed in the API documentation online. I tried it and it _appears_ to have been accepted - I immediately tried downloading it (and that worked) but I also understand that there’s a configuration parameter that delays “delete” functionality so things aren’t removed immediately.
Am I going down the correct line here?
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### Author:  [@alainmazy](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/alainmazy)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2023, 8:07am UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/4 "2023-06-09T08:07:01Z")
Hi Dave,
No there is no such DELETE request.
Right now, the deletion of archive is driven only by this configuration:
```auto
// Maximum number of ZIP/media archives that are maintained by
// Orthanc, as a response to the asynchronous creation of archives.
// The least recently used archives get deleted as new archives are
// generated. This option was introduced in Orthanc 1.5.0, and has
// no effect on the synchronous generation of archives.
"MediaArchiveSize" : 1,
```
HTH,
Alain
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### Author:  [@BNOEAFK](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/BNOEAFK)
#### Post date: [June 9, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/5 "2023-06-09T15:37:46Z")
Alain,
Thanks - yes this certainly helps.
However, could I put a request in to have DELETE added to the API, please? I appreciate that the MediaArchiveSize certainly helps, but I can easily see instances where more than one archive should be kept on the server. Being able to programmatically remove one (upon a successful download for example) would be ultimately very beneficial.
Dave
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### Author:  [@alainmazy](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/alainmazy)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/6 "2023-06-12T16:45:57Z")
Hi Dave,
I was hesitating to implement before you asked so [here it is](https://hg.orthanc-server.com/orthanc/rev/b5c502bcaf99).
It will be available in the next release.
Best regards,
Alain.
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### Author:  [@BNOEAFK](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/u/BNOEAFK)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://discourse.orthanc-server.org/t/ability-to-create-dicom-archive-for-more-than-one-study/3599/7 "2023-06-12T18:05:34Z")
Awesome! Thanks Alain!