ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT FILING SYSTEM FOR REGISTERING AND RETRIEVING A PLURALITY OF DOCUMENTS

A plurality of documents and a plurality of types of classifications are registered on a plurality of hierarchy stages of a hierarchy structure. In each of the documents, a plurality of document files indicating contents of the document is stored in a contents file block, and document attribute information designating one or more document attributes peculiar to the document is stored in a document attribute information file. In each of the types of classifications, classification attribute information designating one or more classification attributes of the type of classification is stored in a classification attribute information file. The classification attributes have no connection with contents of any document. In the hierarchical structure, one or more documents and types of classifications characterized by a common attribute are registered on a first hierarchy stage on the basis of the classification attribute information, which designates the common attribute and is stored in one classification attribute information file of one type of classification registered on a second hierarchy stage higher than the first hierarchy stage by one hierarchy stage, for each hierarchy stage. Therefore, each document can be logically registered, preserved, retrieved and renewed at high speed while tracing a plurality of types of classifications one after another in the hierarchical structure.