A system and method and related computer readable media for creating a system of linked documents. The method includes: storing a file, the file including a document and being linked to a macro, on a data processing system, the data processing system having an operating system; the operating system controlling the data processing system to execute the macro in response to a predetermined trigger event; and the macro controlling the data processing system to inspect other files and link selected ones of the other files to the stored file in accordance with predetermined criteria. The macro can be stored centrally, either on the data processing system or on a network, and the stored file linked to the macro by a pointer; or the macro can be incorporated in the stored file. The predetermined criteria are derived in accordance with values of predetermined data elements of the document, and the other files includes keywords and the macro controls the data processing system to inspect the keywords and list the one of the other files if the keywords meet the predetermined criteria. Alternatively, the other files are selected from the listed files after inspection of the other files' full contents in accordance with the predetermined criteria. The operating system can include a virtual machine and the macro can be expressed in executable code for the virtual machine. The trigger event can be the creation or input of a new file on the data processing system.