diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 3ef3630c..bec7138f 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -330,37 +330,16 @@
       }
     };
   };
-  function filterObjectsByStringEntries(reference, converter, objects) {
-    const matches = [];
-    object_loop: for (const object of objects) {
-      reference_entry_loop: for (const referenceEntry of Object.entries(
-        reference
-      )) {
-        const [referenceKey, referenceValue] = referenceEntry;
-        const comparableObject = converter(object);
-        const comparableObjectValue = comparableObject[referenceKey];
-        if (referenceValue[0] == "-") {
-          const strippedReferenceValue = referenceValue.substring(1);
-          if (strippedReferenceValue == "" && comparableObjectValue != void 0 && comparableObjectValue != "") {
-            continue object_loop;
-          }
-          if (comparableObjectValue == strippedReferenceValue) {
-            continue object_loop;
-          }
-        } else {
-          if (referenceValue == "" && (comparableObjectValue == void 0 || comparableObjectValue == "")) {
-            continue object_loop;
-          } else if (referenceValue == "") {
-            continue reference_entry_loop;
-          }
-          if (comparableObjectValue != referenceValue) {
-            continue object_loop;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-      matches.push(object);
+  function collectObjectValuesForKey(key, converter, objects) {
+    const values = /* @__PURE__ */ new Set();
+    for (const object of objects) {
+      const stringEntryObject = converter(object);
+      const stringEntryObjectValue = stringEntryObject[key];
+      if (stringEntryObjectValue == void 0 || stringEntryObjectValue == "")
+        continue;
+      values.add(stringEntryObjectValue);
     }
-    return matches;
+    return [...values.values()];
   }
   var IndexManager = class {
     itemToString;
@@ -3549,32 +3528,11 @@
 
   // src/index.tsx
   console.log(
-    filterObjectsByStringEntries(
-      { a: "a", b: "b", c: "-c", d: "", e: "-" },
-      (a) => a.a,
-      [
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b1" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c1" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", d: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b1", d: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c", d: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c1", d: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", d: "d" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b1", d: "d" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c", d: "d" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c1", d: "d" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", d: "d", e: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b1", d: "d", e: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c", d: "d", e: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c1", d: "d", e: "" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", d: "d", e: "e" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b1", d: "d", e: "e" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c", d: "d", e: "e" } },
-        { a: { a: "a", b: "b", c: "c1", d: "d", e: "e" } }
-      ]
-    )
+    collectObjectValuesForKey("test", (x) => x, [
+      { test: "hello" },
+      { test: "123" },
+      { test: "hello" }
+    ])
   );
   var storageModel = new StorageModel();
   var settingsModel = new SettingsModel(storageModel);
diff --git a/src/Model/Utility/utility.ts b/src/Model/Utility/utility.ts
index ed3e4a63..20b55852 100644
--- a/src/Model/Utility/utility.ts
+++ b/src/Model/Utility/utility.ts
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ export class HandlerManager<T> {
   };
 }
 
-// filters
-export type ComparableObject = { [key: string]: string };
+// objects
+export type StringEntryObject = { [key: string]: string };
 export function filterObjectsByStringEntries<T>(
-  reference: ComparableObject,
-  converter: (T) => ComparableObject,
+  reference: StringEntryObject,
+  converter: (T) => StringEntryObject,
   objects: T[]
-): any[] {
+): T[] {
   const matches: any[] = [];
 
   object_loop: for (const object of objects) {
@@ -42,29 +42,29 @@ export function filterObjectsByStringEntries<T>(
       reference
     )) {
       const [referenceKey, referenceValue] = referenceEntry;
-      const comparableObject: ComparableObject = converter(object);
-      const comparableObjectValue: string = comparableObject[referenceKey];
+      const stringEntryObject: StringEntryObject = converter(object);
+      const stringEntryObjectValue: string = stringEntryObject[referenceKey];
 
       if (referenceValue[0] == "-") {
         const strippedReferenceValue: string = referenceValue.substring(1);
         // property may not exist
         if (
           strippedReferenceValue == "" &&
-          comparableObjectValue != undefined &&
-          comparableObjectValue != ""
+          stringEntryObjectValue != undefined &&
+          stringEntryObjectValue != ""
         ) {
           continue object_loop;
         }
 
         // property may not match
-        if (comparableObjectValue == strippedReferenceValue) {
+        if (stringEntryObjectValue == strippedReferenceValue) {
           continue object_loop;
         }
       } else {
         // property must exist but be anything
         if (
           referenceValue == "" &&
-          (comparableObjectValue == undefined || comparableObjectValue == "")
+          (stringEntryObjectValue == undefined || stringEntryObjectValue == "")
         ) {
           continue object_loop;
         } else if (referenceValue == "") {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export function filterObjectsByStringEntries<T>(
         }
 
         // property must match
-        if (comparableObjectValue != referenceValue) {
+        if (stringEntryObjectValue != referenceValue) {
           continue object_loop;
         }
       }
@@ -83,6 +83,25 @@ export function filterObjectsByStringEntries<T>(
   return matches;
 }
 
+export function collectObjectValuesForKey<T>(
+  key: string,
+  converter: (object: T) => StringEntryObject,
+  objects: T[]
+): string[] {
+  const values: Set<string> = new Set();
+
+  for (const object of objects) {
+    const stringEntryObject: StringEntryObject = converter(object);
+    const stringEntryObjectValue: string = stringEntryObject[key];
+    if (stringEntryObjectValue == undefined || stringEntryObjectValue == "")
+      continue;
+
+    values.add(stringEntryObjectValue);
+  }
+
+  return [...values.values()];
+}
+
 // sorting
 export class IndexManager<T> {
   private itemToString: (item: T) => string;