1. A computer-implemented method for managing documents implemented in a business processing chain, comprising: receiving a request to generate a document for electronic publication with a computer processor; determining a first object to be included in the document, the first object having characteristics; classifying the characteristics of the first object into a plurality of classes; describing a characteristic of the first object with a first semantic primitive, the first semantic primitive; identifying at least one class among a plurality of classes; wherein, each class among the plurality of classes is stored as metadata defining a document definition associated with the document; determining whether at least one characteristic of the first object belongs to the class identified by the first semantic primitive and whether or not there is a constraint on the use of the first object in the document; wherein when a constraint on the use of the first object in the document or a document template exists, a message is generated indicating a conflict and, wherein when a constraint on the use of the first object in the document or the document template does not exist, metadata associated with the first object and the first semantic primitive is used in generating a document model; generating a first document model, based on a result of the determination of the constraints and the document definition; publishing the document to a computer display using the computer processor, wherein updates to the first document model and document definition are reflected in the document when the document is published; receiving a request to modify the first object based on information associated with the business processing chain; modifying the first semantic primitive describing a characteristic of the first object and the document definition based on the request; modifying subsequent publications of the document based on the modified document definition; receiving a request to publish a second document associated with a second document model referencing the first object; and publishing the second document based on a second document model, the second document being published based on the modifications to the first object.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first semantic primitive reflects a class describing the first object as an object including data files, an object generated from a source entity remote from the business processing chain, an object that may be reused by other documents, an object that may be modified, and an object including template data.