Solution: Implement Trie (Prefix Tree)

Explore how to implement a Trie, a tree-like data structure for efficient string storage and retrieval. Learn to add words, search full words, and check prefixes using methods that optimize search time and space. This lesson helps you understand the core Trie pattern to solve common coding interview problems effectively.

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Statement
Pattern: Trie
Solution

Statement

Trie is a tree-like data structure used to store strings. The tries are also called prefix trees because they provide very efficient prefix-matching operations. Implement a trie data structure with three functions that perform the following tasks:

Insert (word): This inserts a word into the trie.
Search (word): This searches the given word in the trie and returns TRUE if the complete word is found (i.e., all characters match and the last node is marked as the end of a word). Otherwise, return FALSE.
Search prefix (prefix): This searches the given prefix in the trie and returns TRUE if the prefix path exists in the trie (i.e., all prefix characters match), regardless of whether the last node is marked as the end of a word. Otherwise, return FALSE.