# Places \> Used \> Column width for dates **URL:** \ **Category:** RootsMagic\ **Tags:** question, feature-request\ **Created:** [September 11, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224 "2026-09-11T03:40:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tstrickland](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tstrickland/32/7122_2.png) [@tstrickland](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/tstrickland)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/1 "2026-09-11T03:40:13Z")
When I am looking at my **Places** , I often open the **Used** tab to make sure the dates match the actual name in that time period. But, when I open Used, the _Date_ column is NEVER the right width, forcing me to manually widen it to read the dates. Can something be done so that the column automatically sizes width according to the dates in that column? ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/0/018d05353e5b9b6f859985a37d9cdfb998448cbc.png) ---
**Author:** ![MadDog](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/maddog/32/313_2.png) [@MadDog](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/MadDog)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 5:02am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/2 "2026-09-11T05:02:17Z")
I think this has been reported before, just don’t remember when. ---
**Author:** ![cweese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@cweese](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/cweese)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 11:32am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/3 "2026-09-11T11:32:35Z")
I believe that is probably caused by your font scaling setting in RM or your operating system. If you are using something like 120 or 150% the text will not fit in the allotted space. ---
**Author:** ![MadDog](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/maddog/32/313_2.png) [@MadDog](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/MadDog)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/4 "2026-09-11T12:39:17Z")
Is it working correctly for you? What font setting are you using? It makes no difference if it’s 100 or 120 % for me. ---
**Author:** ![nkess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@nkess](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/nkess)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/5 "2026-09-11T17:09:26Z")
Well- mine is working on the date BUT NOT showing all the Type if it is more than 1 word which is okay ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/3/3c5c4df0a643877e7ba71ed994e8d444720b2fad.png) @tstrickland see the 4 dots along the side of 21 April 1945, you can grab onto it and slide it either way-- it may also have something to do with the size of your window-- I have mine at a little over half so I can see the name of the place–date–fact type and person ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/2/277c4af7e6e2987c9e8b5c81a54b89371ed71d6e.png) RM 11.5.0.0 64 bit- Windows 11–font scale set at 100 in RM ---
**Author:** ![kbens0n](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/kbens0n/32/80_2.png) [@kbens0n](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/kbens0n)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/6 "2026-09-11T17:27:04Z")
You can quickly resize the column to the width of the longest text value of that column… by hovering your cursor over the column divider of each column header and double-left clicking. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/6/621d11ad73ccc2a216eb09dcd233eeb7991f8dcb.png) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/1/1f5b39e5c5eafb2b24e74040dbe413a61cf62cea.png) ---
**Author:** ![Steambuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Steambuff](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/Steambuff)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/7 "2026-09-11T17:29:07Z")
What Date format are you using? I am using 11-Sept-2026 and mine fits the column, but I suspect it won’t fit if you are using 11-September-2026. Dave ---
**Author:** ![MadDog](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/maddog/32/313_2.png) [@MadDog](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/MadDog)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/8 "2026-09-11T18:31:31Z")
Mine isn’t working either so I went Full screen, changed to 100 font and then changed the date format. 11 Sept 2001 didn’t work 11 September 2001 didn’t work none of the date formats worked I’m not worried about it so moving on. ---
**Author:** ![kbens0n](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/kbens0n/32/80_2.png) [@kbens0n](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/kbens0n)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/9 "2026-09-11T19:39:36Z")
Because the width is variable according to font type and glyph width, it would just be **one MORE thing** that RootsMagic would need to have dedicated program code for and would have to monitor and keep calling to or have running constantly during the traversal of the user throughout the program awaiting the time when this particular panel (and likely others) gets arrived at. Instead, they considered how often and how crucial that little pane is in the realm of the whole UI and just chose a reasonable default that accomodates format DD MMM YYYY . ![Screenshot 2026-09-12 133954](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/e/e8e4f9e28d70ceddcc1322a6094bcb87f1dc499b.png) ---
**Author:** ![tstrickland](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tstrickland/32/7122_2.png) [@tstrickland](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/tstrickland)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/10 "2026-09-12T17:31:10Z")
> [@cweese](#): > > If you are using something like 120 or 150% the text will not fit in the allotted space. I would say that is not “my” particular problem as much as it is due to development that’s not very elegant. If I change the font scaling given the options to do so, the developers should’ve accounted for the effect that would have on readability, considering readability is the only reason to scale the font up or down. I’m not saying the developers did anything particularly wrong. But, I do think the entire development chain could’ve planned a bit better as a team. ---
**Author:** ![tstrickland](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tstrickland/32/7122_2.png) [@tstrickland](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/tstrickland)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/11 "2026-09-12T17:33:26Z")
> [@nkess](#): > > see the 4 dots along the side of 21 April 1945, you can grab onto it and slide it either way Using the four dats does not change the width of that column, or the Fact Type column. Only the Name column on the right side is changed. ---
**Author:** ![tstrickland](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tstrickland/32/7122_2.png) [@tstrickland](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/tstrickland)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/12 "2026-09-12T17:37:07Z")
> [@kbens0n](#): > > You can quickly resize the column to the width of the longest text value of that column… Thank you… I’m aware. My question/feature-request regards the system should handle it automatically after which the user can alter width as needed. ---
**Author:** ![charrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@charrington](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/charrington)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/13 "2026-09-16T17:01:19Z")
There are date fields that DO NOT allow widening the field. Example below. There is plenty of room if they had just widened the field for all settings. ![Screenshot 2026-09-16 at 9.59.34 AM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/rootsmagic/original/2X/0/0e239157e5b73ed46207ddd475cc6e567e5ae39d.png) ---
**Author:** ![rzamor1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/rzamor1/32/8_2.png) [@rzamor1](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/rzamor1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/14 "2026-09-16T20:32:46Z")
Confirming this has been reported to development. ---
**Author:** ![tstrickland](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/tstrickland/32/7122_2.png) [@tstrickland](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/tstrickland)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/places-used-column-width-for-dates/16224/15 "2026-09-18T05:15:55Z")
Thank you very much, Renee