What is a compact method for retaining and searching a collection of strings?

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One efficient method for retaining and searching a collection of strings is to use a hash table. A hash table uses a hash function to map each string to a unique index in an array. This allows for constant time (O(1)) insertion and retrieval of strings. To search for a specific string in the collection, the hash function is applied to the string and the resulting index is checked for a match. If there is a collision (multiple strings mapping to the same index), a linked list or other data structure can be used to store and retrieve the strings.