A recording apparatus, a recording method, a recording medium, and an electronic camera for recording an index file hierarchically stores index data of files recorded on the recording medium to the recording medium. The recording apparatus includes a device for creating an index file having areas assigned unique identifiers and a recording device for recording the index file to a recording medium. Files are recorded on the recording mediums and pieces of excerpted information of the flies are recorded to the areas. Each of the areas contains attribute information having first information and second information. The first information identifies whether the area is a folder for storing a collection of pieces of the excerpted information a stores a piece of the excerpted information, and the second information represents a folder to which the area belongs.