Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing links between documents and other data structures, such as applications. Search mechanisms may include a directory services search engine for locating objects. A directory object data structure search engine may evaluate, search, or the like, various objects to obtain important information contained in attributes or data members thereof. An association list handler may be a search engine for searching association lists stored as attributes of objects for identifying desired documents. A standard query data structure may be applied by a query resolver to a document location table identified by a document location object. A query generator may be responsible to formulate the standard query data structure, or for formulating queries for all three types of search engines. A directory services database may be searched for an object. An object may be searched for a particular data member or attribute.