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What does "trie" mean in programming?
trie is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
A tree data structure used for storing strings where each edge represents a character. Also called a prefix tree. Enables O(m) lookup where m is the word length, regardless of how many strings are stored. Used in autocomplete, spell checkers, and IP routing.
Example
"An autocomplete feature uses a trie to find all words that start with the typed prefix."
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