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# preferredPrimaryColumnWidth

The preferred width, in points, of the primary view controller’s content.

```
var preferredPrimaryColumnWidth: CGFloat { get set }
```

## Discussion

Use this property to specify your preferred width for the primary view controller’s view. The default value of this property is [`automaticDimension`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/automaticDimension). If you set this property to a value different from [`automaticDimension`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/automaticDimension), that value takes precedence over [`preferredPrimaryColumnWidthFraction`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/preferredPrimaryColumnWidthFraction).

The values in the [`minimumPrimaryColumnWidth`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/minimumPrimaryColumnWidth) and [`maximumPrimaryColumnWidth`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/maximumPrimaryColumnWidth) properties constrain the actual width of the primary view controller. The split view controller attempts to use the width you specify, but may change this value to accommodate the available space. You can get the actual width for the primary view controller’s view from the [`primaryColumnWidth`](/documentation/UIKit/UISplitViewController/primaryColumnWidth) property.

---

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