@jsulm
I got this, thanks

@Devopia53
It works! , Thanks.

I got the answer.

QDir directory = QFileDialog::getExistingDirectory(this, tr("Open Directory"),"/home", QFileDialog::ShowDirsOnly| QFileDialog::DontResolveSymlinks); auto listWidget_images = new QListWidget();//set listwidget to display images listWidget_images->setMinimumSize(1200,400); listWidget_images->setViewMode(QListWidget::IconMode); listWidget_images->setIconSize(QSize(320,240)); listWidget_images->setResizeMode(QListWidget::Adjust); for(const QFileInfo & finfo: directory.entryInfoList()){ ui->listWidget_dirs->addItem(finfo.absoluteFilePath()); } connect(ui->listWidget_dirs, & QListWidget::itemClicked,[listWidget_images,this](QListWidgetItem *item) { listWidget_images->show(); listWidget_images->clear(); QDir directory(item->text()); directory.setNameFilters({"*.png", "*.jpg"}); for(const QFileInfo & finfo: directory.entryInfoList()){ QListWidgetItem *item = new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(finfo.absoluteFilePath()), finfo.fileName()); listWidget_images->addItem(item); } });

@Devopia53
it works! , Thanks alot

For future reference, this approach only works if you know in advance all the roles you will use.
You can use KSelectionProxyModel instead if you need a proper general implementation

@IL
you can add a widget to an item. So just create a for example frame that contains your icon and add it to the list item.

QListWidget *list = new QListWidget(this); //... QFrame *custom = new QFrame; //add whatever you need to the frame QListWidgetItem *i = new QListWidgetItem; list->addItem(i); list->setWidgetItem(i,custom);

I used this for a list where each item needed several buttons to get for example detailed information about the item or delete the item from the list with one click