diff --git a/gui/include/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.h b/gui/include/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e1e849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui/include/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef SCIQLOP_DATASOURCETREEWIDGETHELPER_H
+#define SCIQLOP_DATASOURCETREEWIDGETHELPER_H
+
+#include <functional>
+
+class DataSourceTreeWidgetItem;
+class QTreeWidget;
+
+class DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper {
+public:
+    /// Signature of the function associated to the filtering action
+    using FilterFunction = std::function<bool(const DataSourceTreeWidgetItem &dataSourceItem)>;
+
+    /**
+     * Filters a tree widget according to a function. If an item is valid according to this
+     * function, all of its ancestors and children are shown
+     * @param treeWidget the widget to filter
+     * @param fun the filter function
+     */
+    static void filter(QTreeWidget &treeWidget, FilterFunction fun) noexcept;
+};
+
+#endif // SCIQLOP_DATASOURCETREEWIDGETHELPER_H
diff --git a/gui/src/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.cpp b/gui/src/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5b969b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui/src/DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#include "DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper.h"
+#include "DataSource/DataSourceTreeWidgetItem.h"
+
+namespace {
+
+bool filterTreeItem(DataSourceTreeWidgetItem &treeItem,
+                    DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper::FilterFunction fun, bool parentValid = false)
+{
+    auto selfValid = parentValid || fun(treeItem);
+
+    auto childValid = false;
+    auto childCount = treeItem.childCount();
+    for (auto i = 0; i < childCount; ++i) {
+        if (auto childItem = dynamic_cast<DataSourceTreeWidgetItem *>(treeItem.child(i))) {
+            childValid |= filterTreeItem(*childItem, fun, selfValid);
+        }
+    }
+
+    auto valid = selfValid || childValid;
+
+    treeItem.setHidden(!valid);
+
+    return valid;
+}
+
+} // namespace
+
+void DataSourceTreeWidgetHelper::filter(QTreeWidget &treeWidget, FilterFunction fun) noexcept
+{
+    auto itemCount = treeWidget.topLevelItemCount();
+    for (auto i = 0; i < itemCount; ++i) {
+        if (auto item = dynamic_cast<DataSourceTreeWidgetItem *>(treeWidget.topLevelItem(i))) {
+            filterTreeItem(*item, fun);
+        }
+    }
+}