Patent ID: 7609296

Claim:
A recording apparatus comprising: creating means for creating an index file for a file, the index file indicating attribute information of the file and including a plurality of areas to each of which a unique identifier is assigned; and recording means for recording said index file on a recording medium, wherein said creating means divides the attribute information indicated by the index file into first attribute information which is a collection of fields with a data length of a fixed length and second attribute information including a field with a data length of a variable length; said creating means stores separately a plurality pieces of first attribute information associated with a plurality of files recorded on said recording medium, respectively, and a plurality pieces of second attribute information associated with said plurality pieces of first attribute information, respectively, in said plurality of areas while said plurality pieces of first attribute information are associated with said plurality of files, respectively, and said plurality pieces of second attribute information are associated with said plurality pieces of first attribute information, respectively; said creating means collects an area of said plurality of areas with a data length of a fixed length as a first area group, and collects an area of said plurality of areas with a data length of a variable length as a second area group that are stored in an index file.