Abstract: A method of generating and allocating codewords includes allocating one of two selectable codewords b1 and b2 as codeword “b” when a preceding codeword “a” and a following codeword “b” form a code stream X, in which the codewords b1 and b2 have opposite INV values which are parameters indicating whether the number of ‘1s’ contained in a codeword is an odd number or an even number. When the code stream of the preceding codeword “a” and the following codeword b1 is X1, and when the code stream of the preceding codeword “a” and the following codeword b2 is X2, the codewords are allocated such that the INV values of X1 and X2 are maintained to be opposite when the preceding codeword “a” or the following codeword b1 (b2) (b1 or b2) should be replaced by another codeword in compliance with a predetermined boundary condition given between codewords. The codewords are allocated so that a DC suppression capability of the code stream can be maintained.