Patent ID: 8417687

Claim:
A file processing apparatus for recording, in a recording medium, an index file which manages one or more content files recorded in the recording medium, the apparatus comprising: an index file generation unit generating the index file based on attribute information of the content files and attribute information of folders including the content files, the index file generated in the index file generation unit being recorded in the recording medium, wherein the content files and the folders form a hierarchy in which the folders are higher in the hierarchy than the content files; and wherein for each of the content files and the folders managed by the index file, if one or more of the content files and the folders are positioned next lower in the hierarchy than that content file or folder, the index file generation unit provides (i) a first management information area corresponding to that content file or folder, and (ii) second index information indicating second management information areas corresponding to the folders or the content files positioned next lower in the hierarchy, the second index information being arranged in a list format and being stored at the first management information area corresponding to that folder or content file, and if one of the content files and the folders is positioned next higher in the hierarchy than that content file or folder, the index file generation unit provides (i) the second management information area corresponding to that content file or folder, and (ii) first index information indicating the first management information area corresponding to the folder or the content file positioned next higher in the hierarchy, the first index information being stored at the second management information area corresponding to that folder or content file.