Combined Tables View

Question

I have 4 different types of external logging data that can be opened in my desktop application. They are displayed as tables. Each of these have a few columns in common (e.g. timestamp), but most of the columns are completely different to the other types of logs.

Since it would be useful to view 'combined' versions of these tables in one single tab, I would like to implement this feature, but I'm struggling to find a usable solution.

Please comment if the use-case is unclear.

I've come up with 3 ideas, but I'm not satisfied with any of them, to be honest. Please feel free to suggest another option. Which way is the best to go about this problem?

First Idea: Naive Combination

Just add all unique columns (over 30 if all 4 types are opened in my case) into one table. While the visibility of columns can be toggled, it would still display many columns, because as I mentioned most of them are unique.

Pros

Easy to implement ;)

Cons

Way too many columns.
Contents of unique columns will be separated. E.g. all data of log type A might be on the left side of the table, all data of log type B on the right side.

Second Idea: Stacked Columns

Let's say I open two types of logs.

The table header will then consist of two rows: one for log type A, the other one for log type B. Each row contains the columns for this type, if they are unique. For non-unique columns two header rows would simply be merged into one.

The position of columns would be configurable for each header row. Resizing on the other hand would not.

Pros

Compact

Cons

Maybe hard for the user to understand at first.
One cell of a column can contain other type of information than the one below, for example. For this I could either slightly color the rows for identification of log type or add a textual/visual identifier of log type as the first column. (or both)

Third Idea: x Tables in one tab with a ghostly scrollbar

E.g. Put 2 tables side-by-side, synchronize scrollbars to be at the nearest same timestamp.

Pros

Probably easy to understand for the user

Cons

Self-moving scrollbars
Each table might only be able to display portion of columns
What if 4 types of logs are opened? Would a 2x2 grid be displayed?
In the end just an even worse version of Idea #1

Fourth idea: Your turn

koosvdkolk · Answer

Is it possible to interpret the data for the end user, meaning that he/she only sees the relevant conclusions, in stead of all the raw data?
This raw data could then be made available to the end user after e.g. after clicking some button.
Personally I do not enjoy having to process large tables of logging data, of which 95% is not relevant in most cases.

Omkar Chogale · Answer

I assume rows from all 4 logs corresponds to each other w.r.t. time-stamp or common columns for that matter.

Actually, feasible design depends on -
1) How user wants to use this data. What is user's goal w.r.t. all 4 logs
2) How big screen users have
3) Max number of columns in all 4 log tables
4) Volume of data in all 4 logs

e.g. If users are taking common columns as reference and find corresponding data in all 4 logs then adding all columns in single table (keeping common ones at left and selection for unique columns on  right side) makes sense. This would look same as few frozen columns in excel sheet.

At the same time you want to see multiple unique columns and find "too many columns" even after selecting columns you want to see, it seems contradictory. May be I have not understood what users would actually do with the screen....

Stacked columns seems confusing.

Experimenting with stacked columns seems feasible.

Option1: Select any on tab corresponding to each log for unique columns. Columns can be toggled on/off for view

Option2: Select unique columns from multiple logs

Combined Tables View

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