Index: src/sas/sasgui/guiframe/local_perspectives/data_loader/data_loader.py
===================================================================
--- src/sas/sasgui/guiframe/local_perspectives/data_loader/data_loader.py	(revision 235f514ba93b57fa63e44309f182acef0b98bb55)
+++ src/sas/sasgui/guiframe/local_perspectives/data_loader/data_loader.py	(revision 235f514ba93b57fa63e44309f182acef0b98bb55)
@@ -11,4 +11,5 @@
 
 from sas.sascalc.dataloader.loader import Loader
+from sas.sascalc.dataloader.loader_exceptions import NoKnownLoaderException
 from sas.sasgui.guiframe.plugin_base import PluginBase
 from sas.sasgui.guiframe.events import StatusEvent
@@ -41,4 +42,5 @@
 APPLICATION_WLIST = config.APPLICATION_WLIST
 
+
 class Plugin(PluginBase):
 
@@ -56,10 +58,8 @@
         """
         # menu for data files
-        menu_list = []
         data_file_hint = "load one or more data in the application"
         menu_list = [('&Load Data File(s)', data_file_hint, self.load_data)]
         gui_style = self.parent.get_style()
         style = gui_style & GUIFRAME.MULTIPLE_APPLICATIONS
-        style1 = gui_style & GUIFRAME.DATALOADER_ON
         if style == GUIFRAME.MULTIPLE_APPLICATIONS:
             # menu for data from folder
@@ -102,5 +102,4 @@
         self.get_data(file_list)
 
-
     def can_load_data(self):
         """
@@ -108,5 +107,4 @@
         """
         return True
-
 
     def _load_folder(self, event):
@@ -140,5 +138,6 @@
         """
         if error is not None or str(error).strip() != "":
-            dial = wx.MessageDialog(self.parent, str(error), 'Error Loading File',
+            dial = wx.MessageDialog(self.parent, str(error),
+                                    'Error Loading File',
                                     wx.OK | wx.ICON_EXCLAMATION)
             dial.ShowModal()
@@ -149,5 +148,6 @@
         """
         if os.path.isdir(path):
-            return [os.path.join(os.path.abspath(path), filename) for filename in os.listdir(path)]
+            return [os.path.join(os.path.abspath(path), filename) for filename
+                    in os.listdir(path)]
 
     def _process_data_and_errors(self, item, p_file, output, message):
@@ -178,4 +178,13 @@
         for p_file in path:
             basename = os.path.basename(p_file)
+            # Skip files that start with a period
+            if basename.startswith("."):
+                msg = "The folder included a potential hidden file - %s." \
+                      % basename
+                msg += " Do you wish to load this file as data?"
+                msg_box = wx.MessageDialog(None, msg, 'Warning',
+                                           wx.OK | wx.CANCEL)
+                if msg_box.ShowModal() == wx.ID_CANCEL:
+                    continue
             _, extension = os.path.splitext(basename)
             if extension.lower() in EXTENSIONS:
@@ -213,9 +222,15 @@
                 info="info")
 
+            except NoKnownLoaderException as e:
+                logging.error(e.message)
+                self.load_update(output=None, message=e.message, info="warning")
+                self.load_complete(output=None,
+                                   message="Loading data failed!",
+                                   info="warning")
             except:
                 logger.error(sys.exc_value)
 
-                error_message = "The Data file you selected could not be loaded.\n"
-                error_message += "Make sure the content of your file"
+                error_message = "The Data file you selected could not be "
+                error_message += "loaded.\nMake sure the content of your file"
                 error_message += " is properly formatted.\n"
                 error_message += "When contacting the SasView team, mention the"
@@ -223,5 +238,6 @@
                 error_message += "Error: " + str(sys.exc_info()[1])
                 file_errors[basename] = [error_message]
-                self.load_update(output=output, message=error_message, info="warning")
+                self.load_update(output=output, message=error_message,
+                                 info="warning")
 
         if len(file_errors) > 0:
@@ -236,5 +252,5 @@
 
         self.load_complete(output=output, message="Loading data complete!",
-            info="info")
+                           info="info")
 
     def load_update(self, output=None, message="", info="warning"):
@@ -245,13 +261,10 @@
             wx.PostEvent(self.parent, StatusEvent(status=message, info=info,
                                                   type="progress"))
-    def load_complete(self, output, message="", error_message="", path=None,
-                      info="warning"):
-        """
-         post message to  status bar and return list of data
-        """
-        wx.PostEvent(self.parent, StatusEvent(status=message,
-                                              info=info,
+
+    def load_complete(self, output, message="", info="warning"):
+        """
+         post message to status bar and return list of data
+        """
+        wx.PostEvent(self.parent, StatusEvent(status=message, info=info,
                                               type="stop"))
-        # if error_message != "":
-        #    self.load_error(error_message)
         self.parent.add_data(data_list=output)
