QListView

QListView is a Qt Widgets class that provides a scrolling list-style view of items supplied by a data model. It is part of the Qt Model/View framework and displays items from a model implementing QAbstractItemModel, using an item delegate to render each entry. Unlike QListWidget, which is an item-based convenience class, QListView is model-driven and designed to handle large datasets efficiently.

The view can present items in different modes. By default it shows a vertical list, but it can operate in ListMode or IconMode, allowing items to be laid out like thumbnails in a grid when IconMode is used. The flow and layout can be controlled with properties such as view mode, icon size, grid size, spacing, and the uniformItemSizes option to optimize rendering for uniform items. The view also supports selection models, drag and drop, and edit triggers, enabling interactive item manipulation.

Data rendering relies on the model supplying data through roles such as DisplayRole for text and DecorationRole for icons, with additional roles for tooltips and other metadata. A delegate can be provided to customize how items are drawn or edited, enabling complex item representations beyond the default rendering.

Usage typically involves creating a model (for example, QStandardItemModel or a custom model), creating a QListView, and calling setModel. Developers may adjust properties like setViewMode, setIconSize, setGridSize, or setEditTriggers and connect signals such as clicked, doubleClicked, or selectionChanged to respond to user actions.

QListView is commonly used for file lists, image thumbnails, or any scenario requiring scalable, customizable presentation of a linear or grid-based item collection, while benefiting from the separation of data and presentation provided by the model/view architecture.