diff --git a/data/iceland-surface.idx b/data/iceland-surface.idx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2aae480
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/iceland-surface.idx differ
diff --git a/src/codes_handle/keyed_message/mod.rs b/src/codes_handle/keyed_message/mod.rs
index 2ca6237..e241674 100644
--- a/src/codes_handle/keyed_message/mod.rs
+++ b/src/codes_handle/keyed_message/mod.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use crate::{
         codes_grib_nearest_new, codes_handle_delete, codes_handle_new_from_message_copy,
         codes_keys_iterator_delete,
     },
+    CodesHandle,
 };
 
 use super::{KeysIteratorFlags, NearestGridpoint};
@@ -160,6 +161,20 @@ impl Drop for KeyedMessage {
     }
 }
 
+impl TryFrom<CodesHandle> for KeyedMessage {
+    type Error = CodesError;
+    fn try_from(value: CodesHandle) -> Result<Self, CodesError> {
+        Ok(KeyedMessage {
+            message_handle: value.file_handle,
+            iterator_flags: None,
+            iterator_namespace: None,
+            keys_iterator: None,
+            keys_iterator_next_item_exists: false,
+            nearest_handle: None,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use crate::codes_handle::{CodesHandle, ProductKind};
diff --git a/src/codes_handle/mod.rs b/src/codes_handle/mod.rs
index 1c980cc..06d88d0 100644
--- a/src/codes_handle/mod.rs
+++ b/src/codes_handle/mod.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 //!Main crate module containing definition of `CodesHandle`
 //!and all associated functions and data structures
 
-use crate::errors::CodesError;
+use crate::{
+    codes_index::CodesIndex, errors::CodesError, intermediate_bindings::codes_handle_new_from_index,
+};
 use bytes::Bytes;
 use eccodes_sys::{codes_handle, codes_keys_iterator, codes_nearest, ProductKind_PRODUCT_GRIB};
 use errno::errno;
@@ -293,22 +295,41 @@ impl Drop for CodesHandle {
         //use of stream after the call to fclose() is undefined behaviour, so we clear it
         let return_code;
         unsafe {
-            return_code = libc::fclose(self.file_pointer);
-        }
-
-        if return_code != 0 {
-            let error_val = errno();
-            warn!(
+            if !self.file_pointer.is_null() {
+                return_code = libc::fclose(self.file_pointer);
+                if return_code != 0 {
+                    let error_val = errno();
+                    warn!(
                 "fclose() returned an error and your file might not have been correctly saved.
                 Error code: {}; Error message: {}",
                 error_val.0, error_val
             );
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         self.file_pointer = null_mut();
     }
 }
 
+impl TryFrom<&CodesIndex> for CodesHandle {
+    type Error = CodesError;
+    fn try_from(value: &CodesIndex) -> Result<Self, CodesError> {
+        let handle: *mut codes_handle;
+        unsafe {
+            handle = codes_handle_new_from_index(value.index_handle)?;
+        }
+
+        let new_handle = CodesHandle {
+            _data: DataContainer::FileBytes(Bytes::new()), //unused, index owns data
+            file_pointer: null_mut(),
+            file_handle: handle,
+            product_kind: ProductKind::GRIB,
+        };
+        Ok(new_handle)
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use eccodes_sys::ProductKind_PRODUCT_GRIB;
diff --git a/src/codes_index/mod.rs b/src/codes_index/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b3e56f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/codes_index/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+//!Main crate module containing definition of `CodesIndex`
+//!and all associated functions and data structures
+
+use crate::{
+    errors::CodesError,
+    intermediate_bindings::{
+        codes_index_delete, codes_index_read, codes_index_select_double, codes_index_select_long,
+        codes_index_select_string,
+    },
+};
+use eccodes_sys::codes_index;
+use log::warn;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct CodesIndex {
+    pub index_handle: *mut codes_index,
+}
+pub trait Select<T> {
+    fn select(&mut self, key: &str, value: T) -> Result<(), CodesError>;
+}
+
+impl CodesIndex {
+    pub fn new_from_file(file_path: &Path) -> Result<Self, CodesError> {
+        let file_path_str = file_path.to_str().ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::new(
+            std::io::ErrorKind::InvalidData,
+            "Path is not valid utf8",
+        ))?;
+        let index_handle;
+        unsafe {
+            index_handle = codes_index_read(file_path_str)?;
+        }
+        Ok(CodesIndex { index_handle })
+    }
+}
+
+impl Select<i64> for CodesIndex {
+    fn select(&mut self, key: &str, value: i64) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+        unsafe {
+            codes_index_select_long(self.index_handle, key, value)?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+impl Select<f64> for CodesIndex {
+    fn select(&mut self, key: &str, value: f64) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+        unsafe {
+            codes_index_select_double(self.index_handle, key, value)?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+impl Select<&str> for CodesIndex {
+    fn select(&mut self, key: &str, value: &str) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+        unsafe {
+            codes_index_select_string(self.index_handle, key, value)?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for CodesIndex {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        unsafe {
+            codes_index_delete(self.index_handle).unwrap_or_else(|error| {
+                warn!("codes_index_delete() returned an error: {:?}", &error);
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::KeyType;
+    use crate::{
+        codes_index::{CodesIndex, Select},
+        CodesHandle, KeyedMessage,
+    };
+    use std::{borrow::Borrow, path::Path};
+    #[test]
+    fn file_constructor() {
+        let file_path = Path::new("./data/iceland-surface.idx");
+        let index = CodesIndex::new_from_file(file_path).unwrap();
+        assert!(!index.index_handle.is_null());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn grib_handle_from_index_selection() {
+        let file_path = Path::new("./data/iceland-surface.idx");
+        let mut index = CodesIndex::new_from_file(file_path).unwrap();
+        index.select("shortName", "2t").unwrap();
+        index.select("typeOfLevel", "surface").unwrap();
+        index.select("level", 0).unwrap();
+        index.select("stepType", "instant").unwrap();
+        let mut handle: CodesHandle = index.borrow().try_into().unwrap();
+        let current_message: KeyedMessage = handle.try_into().unwrap();
+
+        let short_name = current_message.read_key("shortName").unwrap();
+        match short_name.value {
+            KeyType::Str(val) => assert!(val == "2t"),
+            _ => panic!("Unexpected key type"),
+        };
+        let level = current_message.read_key("level").unwrap();
+        match level.value {
+            KeyType::Int(val) => assert!(val == 0),
+            _ => panic!("Unexpected key type"),
+        };
+        index.select("shortName", "10v").unwrap();
+        handle = index.borrow().try_into().unwrap();
+        let current_message: KeyedMessage = handle.try_into().unwrap();
+
+        let short_name = current_message.read_key("shortName").unwrap();
+        match short_name.value {
+            KeyType::Str(val) => assert!(val == "10v"),
+            _ => panic!("Unexpected key type"),
+        };
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/intermediate_bindings.rs b/src/intermediate_bindings.rs
index 0397199..609aae9 100644
--- a/src/intermediate_bindings.rs
+++ b/src/intermediate_bindings.rs
@@ -329,6 +329,85 @@ pub unsafe fn codes_handle_new_from_message_copy(message_buffer: &[u8]) -> *mut
     )
 }
 
+pub unsafe fn codes_index_read(filename: &str) -> Result<*mut codes_index, CodesError> {
+    let filename = CString::new(filename).unwrap();
+    let context: *mut codes_context = ptr::null_mut(); //default context
+    let mut error_code: i32 = 0;
+
+    let codes_index = eccodes_sys::codes_index_read(context, filename.as_ptr(), &mut error_code);
+    codes_index.drop_in_place();
+    if error_code != 0 {
+        let err: CodesInternal = FromPrimitive::from_i32(error_code).unwrap();
+        return Err(err.into());
+    }
+    Ok(codes_index)
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn codes_index_delete(index: *mut codes_index) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+    eccodes_sys::codes_index_delete(index);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn codes_index_select_long(
+    index: *mut codes_index,
+    key: &str,
+    value: i64,
+) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+    let key = CString::new(key).unwrap();
+    let error_code = eccodes_sys::codes_index_select_long(index, key.as_ptr(), value);
+
+    if error_code != 0 {
+        let err: CodesInternal = FromPrimitive::from_i32(error_code).unwrap();
+        return Err(err.into());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn codes_index_select_double(
+    index: *mut codes_index,
+    key: &str,
+    value: f64,
+) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+    let key = CString::new(key).unwrap();
+    let error_code = eccodes_sys::codes_index_select_double(index, key.as_ptr(), value);
+
+    if error_code != 0 {
+        let err: CodesInternal = FromPrimitive::from_i32(error_code).unwrap();
+        return Err(err.into());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn codes_index_select_string(
+    index: *mut codes_index,
+    key: &str,
+    value: &str,
+) -> Result<(), CodesError> {
+    let key = CString::new(key).unwrap();
+    let value = CString::new(value).unwrap();
+    let error_code = eccodes_sys::codes_index_select_string(index, key.as_ptr(), value.as_ptr());
+
+    if error_code != 0 {
+        let err: CodesInternal = FromPrimitive::from_i32(error_code).unwrap();
+        return Err(err.into());
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub unsafe fn codes_handle_new_from_index(
+    index: *mut codes_index,
+) -> Result<*mut codes_handle, CodesError> {
+    let mut error_code: i32 = 0;
+
+    let codes_handle = eccodes_sys::codes_handle_new_from_index(index, &mut error_code);
+
+    if error_code != 0 {
+        let err: CodesInternal = FromPrimitive::from_i32(error_code).unwrap();
+        return Err(err.into());
+    }
+    Ok(codes_handle)
+}
+
 pub unsafe fn codes_keys_iterator_new(
     handle: *mut codes_handle,
     flags: u32,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 0ae82a3..560602f 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@
 //!
 
 pub mod codes_handle;
+pub mod codes_index;
 pub mod errors;
 mod intermediate_bindings;