A recording apparatus such as an optical disk and a file management method are disclosed by which, where an index file is formed from groups of data wherein extract information is collected for different types and one of the groups of data is used to collectively manage the other groups of data, a process relating to deletion or addition of extract information can be executed simply, easily, and with certainty. In each of slots of a property entry, information representing whether the slot is valid or invalid and information representative of a relationship to different slots to which extract information relating to the same file is allocated are recorded, and a combination of the slots in which the extract information of the one file is allocated is managed with the property entry.