How could I create a diagram that looks like this?

Question

I am trying to create a diagram for a document that illustrates a table. (Below is an example of how I would like it to look.) What tools should I use to replicate this?

Answer 1

One possibility using TikZ:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes.multipart,positioning}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[my shape/.style={
  rectangle split, rectangle split parts=#1,draw,
  rectangle split empty part height= 1.5ex,align=center}]

% the rectangular nodes
\node[my shape=7] (rec1) {\phantom{10}};
\node[right = 15pt of rec1,my shape=2] (rec2) at (rec1.three split east) {16\nodepart{two}17};
\node[right = 15pt of rec1,my shape=2] (rec3) at (rec1.six split east) {12\nodepart{two}13};
\node[right = 4cm of rec1,my shape=7] (rec4) {\nodepart{two}17\nodepart{three}26\nodepart{four}16\nodepart{five}\nodepart{six}12\nodepart{seven}13};
\node[right = 15pt of rec3,my shape=1] (rec5) at (rec3.text east) {26};

% the numbers to the left of the rectangles
\foreach \part [count=\i from 0] in {text ,two ,three ,four ,five ,six ,seven }
{  
  \foreach \rect in {rec1,rec4}
  \node[label=left:$\i$] at (\rect.\part west) {};
}

% the arrows
\draw[->] (rec1.three east) -- (rec2.text west);
\draw[->] (rec1.four east) -- (rec2.two west);
\draw[->] (rec1.six east) -- (rec3.text west);
\draw[->] (rec1.seven east) -- (rec3.two west);
\draw[->] (rec3.text east) -- (rec5.text west);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Answer 2

Without Tikz ...

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}

\begin{minipage}{0.4\linewidth}
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}
\begin{tabular}{c|c| *2{@{}c@{}|c|} }
                                                             \cline{2-2}
0 & \phantom{0} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{}                    \\ \cline{2-2}
1 &             & \multicolumn{4}{c}{}                    \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4}
2 &             & $\rightarrow$ & 16                      \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4}
3 &             & $\rightarrow$ & 17                      \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4}
4 &             & \multicolumn{4}{c}{}                    \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4} \cline{6-6}
5 &             & $\rightarrow$ & 12 & $\rightarrow$ & 26 \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4} \cline{6-6}
6 &             & $\rightarrow$ & 13                      \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-4}
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}%
\begin{minipage}{0.4\linewidth}
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}
\begin{tabular}{c|c|}
          \cline{2-2}
0 &    \\ \cline{2-2}
1 & 17 \\ \cline{2-2}
2 & 26 \\ \cline{2-2}
3 & 16 \\ \cline{2-2}
4 &    \\ \cline{2-2}
5 & 12 \\ \cline{2-2}
6 & 13 \\ \cline{2-2}
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

which gives,

My attempt to simplify the first tabular failed :(

\begingroup
\renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.2}
\begin{tabular}{c|c|@{$\rightarrow$}|c|@{$\rightarrow$}|c|}
                               \cline{2-2}
0 & \phantom{0}             \\ \cline{2-2}
1 &                         \\ \cline{2-3}
2 &             & 16        \\ \cline{2-3}
3 &             & 17        \\ \cline{2-3}
4 &                         \\ \cline{2-4}
5 &             & 12 & 26   \\ \cline{2-4}
6 &             & 13        \\ \cline{2-3}
\end{tabular}
\endgroup

This produces,

I don't know if there is a way to get rid of those horizontal rules above and below the rightarrow. I thought of using the hhline package but that is not meant of this. If someone knows how to do it, I would really appreciate a reply.