What is the primary function of a password to open an electronic document?

The primary function of a password to open an electronic document is to encrypt the document for limited access. This mechanism serves as a security measure that restricts unauthorized individuals from viewing or editing the content of the document. By requiring a password, the document creator ensures that only those who have been granted access can open and view the document's information, thereby protecting sensitive data from breaches or misuse.

A password does not allow all users to modify the document, as that would undermine the purpose of securing the content. It also does not serve the purpose of tracking document changes; rather, that is typically managed through version control or change tracking features within document management software. Finally, while sharing the document might involve passwords in some contexts, the primary function of a password is security, not ease of sharing.