What happens if a document has no associated date during processing?

When a document has no associated date during processing, a null value is assigned, and this document is then excluded from the filtered list. This means that during any operations that depend on a date—such as sorting, filtering, or applying certain conditions—documents without a date will not be considered. The system needs a date to categorize or filter documents effectively, and thus, assigning a null value ensures that those documents are not mistakenly included in lists or processes that rely on specific date criteria.

By contrast, other scenarios, like excluding documents entirely or keeping them with their metadata, would not accurately describe the specific handling of documents lacking a date. Automatic archiving is also not applicable, as that action does not directly relate to the absence of a date in the context being discussed. Therefore, the assignment of a null value and subsequent exclusion aligns directly with typical data processing protocols and how missing key attributes like a date are handled.