diff --git a/data_structures/trie_tree.cpp b/data_structures/trie_tree.cpp
index a613ebd8f..66105d752 100644
--- a/data_structures/trie_tree.cpp
+++ b/data_structures/trie_tree.cpp
@@ -1,91 +1,162 @@
-#include <stdbool.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-
+/**
+ * @file
+ * @author [Krishna Vedala](https://github.com/kvedala)
+ * @brief Implementation of [Trie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trie) data
+ * structure for English alphabets in small characters.
+ * @note the function ::trie::deleteString might be erroneous
+ */
+#include <array>
+#include <cassert>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <memory>
 #include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
-// structure definition
-typedef struct trie {
-    struct trie* arr[26];
-    bool isEndofWord;
-} trie;
+static constexpr uint8_t NUM_CHARS = 26;  ///< Number of characters
 
-// create a new node for trie
-trie* createNode() {
-    trie* nn = new trie();
-    for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) nn->arr[i] = NULL;
-    nn->isEndofWord = false;
-    return nn;
-}
+/**
+ * @brief Trie class implementation
+ * @note the function ::trie::deleteString might be erroneous
+ * @todo review the function ::trie::deleteString and the commented lines
+ */
+class trie {
+ private:
+    /** Recursive tree nodes as an array of shared-pointers */
+    std::array<std::shared_ptr<trie>, NUM_CHARS> arr;
+    bool isEndofWord = false;  ///< identifier if a node is terminal node
 
-// insert string into the trie
-void insert(trie* root, std::string str) {
-    for (int i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
-        int j = str[i] - 'a';
-        if (root->arr[j]) {
-            root = root->arr[j];
-        } else {
-            root->arr[j] = createNode();
-            root = root->arr[j];
-        }
-    }
-    root->isEndofWord = true;
-}
-
-// search a string exists inside the trie
-bool search(trie* root, std::string str, int index) {
-    if (index == str.length()) {
-        if (!root->isEndofWord)
-            return false;
-        return true;
-    }
-    int j = str[index] - 'a';
-    if (!root->arr[j])
-        return false;
-    return search(root->arr[j], str, index + 1);
-}
-
-/*
-removes the string if it is not a prefix of any  other
-string, if it is then just sets the endofword to false, else
-removes the given string
-*/
-bool deleteString(trie* root, std::string str, int index) {
-    if (index == str.length()) {
-        if (!root->isEndofWord)
-            return false;
-        root->isEndofWord = false;
-        for (int i = 0; i < 26; i++) return false;
-        return true;
-    }
-    int j = str[index] - 'a';
-    if (!root->arr[j])
-        return false;
-    bool var = deleteString(root, str, index + 1);
-    if (var) {
-        root->arr[j] = NULL;
-        if (root->isEndofWord) {
-            return false;
-        } else {
-            int i;
-            for (i = 0; i < 26; i++)
-                if (root->arr[i])
-                    return false;
+    /** search a string exists inside a given root trie
+     * @param str string to search for
+     * @param index start index to search from
+     * @returns `tre` if found
+     * @returns `false` if not found
+     */
+    bool search(std::shared_ptr<trie> root, const std::string& str, int index) {
+        if (index == str.length()) {
+            if (!root->isEndofWord)
+                return false;
             return true;
         }
+        int j = str[index] - 'a';
+        if (!root->arr[j])
+            return false;
+        return search(root->arr[j], str, index + 1);
     }
 
-    /* should not return here */
-    std::cout << __func__ << ":" << __LINE__ << "Should not reach this line\n";
-    return false;
+ public:
+    trie() = default;  ///< Class default constructor
+
+    /** insert string into the trie
+     * @param str String to insert in the tree
+     */
+    void insert(const std::string& str) {
+        std::shared_ptr<trie> root(nullptr);
+
+        for (const char& ch : str) {
+            int j = ch - 'a';
+            if (root) {
+                if (root->arr[j]) {
+                    root = root->arr[j];
+                } else {
+                    std::shared_ptr<trie> temp(new trie());
+                    root->arr[j] = temp;
+                    root = temp;
+                }
+            } else if (arr[j]) {
+                root = arr[j];
+            } else {
+                std::shared_ptr<trie> temp(new trie());
+                arr[j] = temp;
+                root = temp;
+            }
+        }
+        root->isEndofWord = true;
+    }
+
+    /** search a string exists inside the trie
+     * @param str string to search for
+     * @param index start index to search from
+     * @returns `tre` if found
+     * @returns `false` if not found
+     */
+    bool search(const std::string& str, int index) {
+        if (index == str.length()) {
+            if (!isEndofWord)
+                return false;
+            return true;
+        }
+        int j = str[index] - 'a';
+        if (!arr[j])
+            return false;
+        return search(arr[j], str, index + 1);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * removes the string if it is not a prefix of any  other
+     * string, if it is then just sets the ::isEndofWord to false, else removes
+     * the given string
+     * @param str string to remove
+     * @param index index to remove from
+     * @returns `true` if successful
+     * @returns `false` if unsuccessful
+     */
+    bool deleteString(const std::string& str, int index) {
+        // std::shared_ptr<trie> root (nullptr);
+
+        if (index == str.length()) {
+            if (!isEndofWord)
+                return false;
+            isEndofWord = false;
+            // for (int i = 0; i < NUM_CHARS; i++)
+            //     if (root->arr[i])
+            //         return false;
+            return true;
+        }
+        int j = str[index] - 'a';
+        if (!arr[j])
+            return false;
+        bool var = deleteString(str, index + 1);
+        if (var) {
+            arr[j].reset();
+            if (isEndofWord) {
+                return false;
+            } else {
+                int i;
+                for (i = 0; i < NUM_CHARS; i++)
+                    if (arr[i])
+                        return false;
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /* should not return here */
+        std::cout << __func__ << ":" << __LINE__
+                  << "Should not reach this line\n";
+        return false;
+    }
+};
+
+/**
+ * @brief Testing function
+ * @returns void
+ */
+void test() {
+    trie root;
+    root.insert("hello");
+    root.insert("world");
+
+    assert(root.search("hello", 0));
+    std::cout << "hello - " << root.search("hello", 0) << "\n";
+
+    assert(!root.search("word", 0));
+    std::cout << "word - " << root.search("word", 0) << "\n";
+
+    assert(root.search("world", 0));
+    std::cout << "world - " << root.search("world", 0) << "\n";
 }
 
 int main() {
-    trie* root = createNode();
-    insert(root, "hello");
-    insert(root, "world");
-    int a = search(root, "hello", 0);
-    int b = search(root, "word", 0);
-    printf("%d %d ", a, b);
+    test();
+
     return 0;
 }