>If I understand your question correctly, you can just call your validation first:
>
>

>        Private Function DataEntry() As Boolean
>...
>          If ValidateBeforeIntializeWithRow() Then
>            ' Initialization code with row
>            If Not InitializeWithRow() Then
>                Return False
>            End If
>          End If
>...
>            Return True
>        End Function
>
>        Private Function ValidateBeforeIntializeWithRow() As Boolean
>          ' validation code here
>        End Function
>
>        Public Overridable Function InitializeWithRow() As Boolean
>            Return True
>        End Function
>

>
>Now, perhaps you meant you only wanted to do that validation *IF* the sub-class overrode the InitializeWithRow() function and you're right, there's no way to know that. Depending on what this validation is supposed to do, it may not matter if it runs even when there's Override.

I am looking at Viv's approach to see if that could help.