How is data stored inside a hash table structure?

In Python, a hash table is implemented through a data structure called a dictionary (dict). Inside the dictionary, data is stored as an array of buckets, where key-value pairs are placed.

Each key is transformed into a hash using the built-in hash() function. The resulting hash is used to determine the index of the bucket where the pair will be stored. If there are already elements in the bucket (collision), a chaining method (linked list) or open addressing is used to resolve collisions.

Starting from Python 3.6, dictionaries preserve the insertion order of elements, which is achieved through an additional structure, but the core is a hash table.

Example:

my_dict = {}
my_dict['apple'] = 5
my_dict['banana'] = 3

print(my_dict['apple'])  # 5

Here, the keys 'apple' and 'banana' are hashed, and the pairs are stored in the corresponding buckets for quick access.