How to fill in blank columns left by a figure, in IEEE double column format?

Question

In IEEE Systems Journal format;

i am trying to insert a table/figure that is quite wide, so it will take up a whole column.

\documentclass[lettersize,journal]{IEEEtran}

\usepackage{tabularx}   
\usepackage{lipsum,graphicx}


\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-7]

\onecolumn
    \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{|X|X|X|X|}
    \hline
    \multicolumn{4}{|c|}{\textcolor{red}{\textbf{LUL }}} \\
    \hline
    \centering\arraybackslash Title & \centering\arraybackslash Overview & \centering\arraybackslash Advantage(s) & \centering\arraybackslash Disadvantage(s) \\
    \hline
    Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline   
    Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline 
    \end{tabularx}
    \twocolumn

\lipsum[1-2]

\end{document}

However, by using \onecolumn switch followed by \twocolumn switch leaves me with the following problem;

There is a lot of space left by the figure/table, as you can see the red circle i highlighted in the attached picture, which is bad for presentation and also unacceptable by my advisor. Is there any way i can fill this empty space ?

preferably by the text that will come after the table/figure ?

Answer 1

\onecolumn and \twocolumn are forced page breaks, so if you use them you have to move text "by hand". This is why LaTeX provides floating tables.

\documentclass[lettersize,journal]{IEEEtran}

\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{cite}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,amsfonts}
\usepackage{algorithmic}
\usepackage[ruled]{algorithm2e} % allows algorithms to be displayed PROPERLY, so use with algorithmic package
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{pstricks}
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{ifthen}
\usepackage{msc}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{newtxtext,newtxmath} % this pkg allowed words inside msc diagrams to be bold !
\usepackage{afterpage}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\usepackage{cuted}

\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{graphicx}

% \usepackage{lmodern,babel,adjustbox,booktabs,multirow}

\usepackage{lipsum,graphicx}
\usepackage{cuted}


\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-7]



\begin{table*}
    \begin{tabularx}{\textwidth}{|X|X|X|X|}
    \hline
    \multicolumn{4}{|c|}{\textcolor{red}{\textbf{LUL }}} \\
    \hline
    \centering\arraybackslash Title & \centering\arraybackslash Overview & \centering\arraybackslash Advantage(s) & \centering\arraybackslash Disadvantage(s) \\
    \hline
    Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline   
    Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline     Duis leo. & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna  & Sed fringilla mauris sit amet nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna \\ \hline 
    \end{tabularx}
\end{table*}

\lipsum

\lipsum

\end{document}