Electronic filing system with file-placeholders

A method for processing electronic representations of documents, comprising:

• managing filing system objects in an electronic filing system;
• the filing system objects managed by the electronic filing system including an electronic document file class of filing system object that is associated with an electronic document file;
• generating a placeholder class of filing system objects in the electronic filing system that are distinct from the electronic document file class of filing system objects;
• each placeholder object generated by the placeholder generator (a) being stored in the electronic filing system with metadata that identifies an expected document file that is to be created in the electronic filing system and (b) representing the expected document file which is not recognized as being present in the electronic filing system but which is explicitly expected to be stored in the electronic filing system;
• and
• performing a redeem operation to redeem a placeholder object when the expected document file is presented;
• the expected document file being recognized as being present in the electronic filing system after the placeholder controller redeems the placeholder object.

An electronic document processing system for processing electronic representations of documents, comprising:

• means for managing filing system objects in an electronic filing system;
• the filing system objects managed by the electronic filing system including an electronic document file class of filing system object that is associated with an electronic document file;
• means for generating a placeholder class of filing system objects in the electronic filing system that are distinct from the electronic document file class of filing system objects;
• each placeholder object generated by the placeholder generator (a) being stored in the electronic filing system with metadata that identifies an expected document file that is to be created in the electronic filing system and (b) representing the expected document file which is not recognized as being present in the electronic filing system but which is explicitly expected to be stored in the electronic filing system;
• and
• means for performing a redeem operation to redeem a placeholder object when the expected document file is presented;
• the expected document file being recognized as being present in the electronic filing system after the placeholder controller redeems the placeholder object.