How to place tables side-by-side by using "\minipage"?

Question

I hope my final table to be like:

| SUBTBL1 | SUBTBL2 |
| SUBTBL3 | SUBTBL4 |

and it is, but part of the table overlaps with the text, what should i do?

Here is my preamble :

\documentclass[lettersize,journal]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{amsmath,amsfonts}
\usepackage{algorithmic}
\usepackage{algorithm}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage[caption=false,font=normalsize,labelfont=sf,textfont=sf]{subfig}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{stfloats}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{url}
\usepackage{verbatim}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{diagbox}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{cite}
\usepackage{caption}
\hyphenation{op-tical net-works semi-conduc-tor IEEE-Xplore}

Here is my code:

    \begin{table}[th]
    \centering
    \caption{Result}
    \begin{tabular}{c c}
    \begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\textwidth}\centering
    \resizebox{1.\textwidth}{!}{
    \begin{tabular}{cccccccccc}
    \toprule
    %\hline
    \multirow{2}{*}{K} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 0.1}   & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 1}  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 5}           \\
    \cmidrule(lr){2-4} \cmidrule(lr){5-7} \cmidrule(lr){8-10}
& Prc.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prc.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\%\\ \toprule
0.2    & 99.94 & 99.99 & 99.96  & 99.77       & 99.98      & 99.87    & 94.93    &  99.90    &   97.35        \\
0.5    & 99.91  & 99.99   & 99.94   & 99.93        &99.99         & 99.95    & 73.20       &99.62         & 84.39  \\
0.8   &  \textbf{99.95} &  \textbf{99.99 } & \textbf{99.96}  &  99.93      &  99.99       &   99.95    & 99.70      & 99.99        &  99.84  \\ \toprule
\end{tabular}}
\caption{(a)}
\end{minipage}

&

\begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\textwidth}\centering
\resizebox{1.\textwidth}{!}{
\begin{tabular}{cccccccccc}
\toprule
\multirow{2}{*}{K} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 0.1}   & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 1}  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 5}           \\
\cmidrule(lr){2-4} \cmidrule(lr){5-7} \cmidrule(lr){8-10}
& Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prc.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prc.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\%\\ \toprule
0.2    & 92.19  &  93.27  &  92.72 & \textbf{92.54}   &  \textbf{93.62} &  \textbf{93.07}   & 91.53  & 92.58   & 92.05  \\
0.5    & 92.03   & 93.10    & 92.56 & \textbf{92.54}   &  \textbf{93.62} &  \textbf{93.07} & 91.53       & 92.58  &92.05 \\
0.8   &92.36 &  93.45  &   92.90   & \textbf{92.54}   &  \textbf{93.62} &  \textbf{93.07}  &  91.86   & 92.93   &  92.39    \\ \toprule
\end{tabular}}
\caption{(b)}
\end{minipage}

\\

\begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\textwidth}\centering
\resizebox{1.\textwidth}{!}{
\begin{tabular}{cccccccccc}
\toprule
%\hline
\multirow{2}{*}{K} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 0.1}   & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 1}  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 5}           \\
\cmidrule(lr){2-4} \cmidrule(lr){5-7} \cmidrule(lr){8-10}
& Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\%\\ \toprule
0.2    & 99.85 & 94.45  &   97.07  &  99.85    &  99.55  & 99.69 & \textbf{99.85} & \textbf{99.98}  & \textbf{99.91}     \\
0.5    & 99.89 & 99.25   & 99.56    &  99.85   &  99.73  & 99.78   & \textbf{99.85} & \textbf{99.98}  & \textbf{99.91} \\
0.8   &  99.91 & 94.09   & 96.91     &  99.83   &   95.65  &  97.69  & \textbf{99.85} & \textbf{99.98}  & \textbf{99.91} \\ \toprule
\end{tabular}}
\caption{(c)}
\end{minipage}

&

\begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\textwidth}\centering
\resizebox{1.\textwidth}{!}{
\begin{tabular}{cccccccccc}
\toprule
%\hline
\multirow{2}{*}{K} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 0.1}   & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 1}  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{t = 5}           \\
\cmidrule(lr){2-4} \cmidrule(lr){5-7} \cmidrule(lr){8-10}
& Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\% & Prec.\% & Rec.\% & F1-Mea.\%\\ \toprule
0.2    & 99.99  & 90.47   &  94.99  &  \textbf{99.99}  & \textbf{97.61} &  \textbf{98.78} &  99.99   & 85.71  & 92.30\\
0.5    & 99.99  & 92.85   & 96.28&  \textbf{99.99}  & \textbf{97.61} &  \textbf{98.78} &  99.99      & 88.09   &  93.66\\
0.8   & 99.99 & 92.85  & 96.28   &  \textbf{99.99}  & \textbf{97.61} &  \textbf{98.78}  & 99.99   & 88.09   &  93.66  \\ \toprule
\end{tabular}}
\caption{(d)}
\end{minipage}

\\

\end{tabular}
\end{table}

Answer 1

So let's focus here in the organization problem. Therefore, I will compact the tables into a simple one in a separated file named input_tab_A:

\begin{tabular}{lll}
  A & B & C \\
  1 & 2 & 3
\end{tabular}

Separating tabulars into own files allows us to focus in the issue, not in the content. I advice to do it with all too long and too complex tables. If journals require one single tex file, just copy and paste after you finish the hard task of organizing and writing your article.

Next, this answers uses the following links as sources:

• caption
• minipage across two columns

Now to the code. I will present more than one method to insert tables. As your issue is related with organization and displacement around text, the lipsum package is used in order to avoid typing text. Sometimes I will insert copies of \input{input_tab_A} to produce some longer table.

The MWE follows

\documentclass[lettersize,journal]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\captionsetup{font=normalsize,labelfont=sf,textfont=sf,position=top}
\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-3]
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\linewidth}
  \centering
  \begin{table}[H]
    \captionbox{Legend}[\linewidth]{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
  \end{table}
\end{minipage}%
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.48\linewidth}
  \centering
  \begin{table}[H]
    \captionbox{Legend}[\linewidth]{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
  \end{table}
\end{minipage}
\lipsum[1-3]
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
  \centering
  \begin{table}[H]
    \captionbox{!!Error textwidth!!}[\linewidth]{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
  \end{table}
\end{minipage}%
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
  \centering
  \begin{table}[H]
    \captionbox{This table is missing}[\linewidth]{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
  \end{table}
\end{minipage}
\begin{table}
  \captionbox{This table goes through two columns}[\linewidth]{
    \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
    \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
    \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
  }
\end{table}
\lipsum[1-3]
\begin{table}[!ht]
  \centering
  \captionbox{A lot of tables and subtables}[\linewidth]{
    \subcaptionbox{First}{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }\quad
    \subcaptionbox{Second}{
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
\subcaptionbox{Third}{
  \input{input_tab_A}
}\quad
\subcaptionbox{Fourth}{
  \input{input_tab_A}
}

}
\end{table}
\lipsum[1-7]
\begin{table*}[!ht]
  \centering
  \captionbox{A lot of tables and subtables through two columns}[\linewidth]{
    \subcaptionbox{First}{
      \input{input_tab_A}
      \input{input_tab_A}
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }\quad
    \subcaptionbox{Second}{
      \input{input_tab_A}
      \input{input_tab_A}
      \input{input_tab_A}
    }
\subcaptionbox{Third}{
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
}\quad
\subcaptionbox{Fourth}{
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
  \input{input_tab_A}\input{input_tab_A}
}

}
\end{table*}
\lipsum[1-7]
\begin{figure*}
  \centering
  \begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
    \centering
    \captionof{table}{First}
    \input{input_tab_A}
  \end{minipage}\quad
  \begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
    \centering
    \captionof{table}{Second}
    \input{input_tab_A}
  \end{minipage}
\begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
    \centering
    \captionof{table}{Third}
    \input{input_tab_A}
  \end{minipage} %
  \begin{minipage}[b]{0.3\textwidth}
    \centering
    \captionof{table}{Fourth}
    \input{input_tab_A}
  \end{minipage}
\end{figure*}
\lipsum[1-10]
\end{document}

---

Discussion of results

minipage with \linewidth

That's a fine result, each one labeled numericas as table, but only one column. I had to use [H] from float package, that's not elegant (Why should the "H" option not be used in floats?).

minipage with \textwidth

Not nice, tables will certainly far from margins. Bad solution.

table*

Now it is getting better, our very large table fits both columns without disturbing text. Does it go to the next page? -- Yes, this is how the class IEEEtran defines the standard behavior.

table and \subcaptionbox

This solution give us subcaptions! That's look nice, but it is not exactly what you want. It is inside a singe column.

table* and \subcaptionbox

A litte bit closer. Smaller tables can be side bz side, larger tables can't. But it still has the subcaption with letters. Let's try our last move.

figure*, minipage and \captionof

Why not bending the rules in our favor?

The caption package allows us to do the ultimate trick, insert captions of an object inside other environments.

Now we achieve: (1) the desired organization; (2) all tables labeled as table, not as sub-tables; (3) tables crossing columns but not over texts; and (4) keep some elegance avoiding [H].