How to select default value in drop down list using JQuery

Question

I want to select "Algeria" as default selected value in drop down list.I am fetching countrylist from database using handler ( LoadCountryList.ashx ) in JSON data format and binding it to dropdownlist on aspx page using Jquery's $.getJSON precedure given below

function AddOptions(objSelect)
{
    var URL ="~/LoadCountryList.ashx";
    $.getJSON(URL,function(countries){
        $.each(countries,function(){
            var vCountry = this['Country'];
            $(objSelect).append($("<option></option>").val(this['ID']).html(vCountry));
        });
    });
}

and finally i tried to set its default value "Algeria".

$(objSelect).find("option[text='Algeria']").attr("selected","selected"); 
OR
$(objSelect).find("option[value='3']").attr("selected","selected");

but its not worked.Does anyone suggest me how to do it.

UPDATE:

Also i want to show waiting message like Loading... until it get complete country list from database.

Solution 1

To do it by value, you can just use the val()^(docs) method.

$(objSelect).val('3');

By text content, safest is to use the filter()^(docs) method.

$(objSelect).find('option').filter(function() {
    return this.text === 'Algeria';
}).attr('selected','selected');

---

EDIT: Make sure you're doing it inside the callback to the getJSON() call.

Solution 2

$(objSelect).val("Algeria");

should do it.

Comments

[Sukhjeevan]

Thanks patric it worked like charm.actually i was doing this work outside getJSON() function that's why it wasn't working.thanks a lot.

[Sukhjeevan]

one more thing i want to show waiting message like Loading... until it get complete country list from database.can u tell me how can i do that.

[user113716]

@Sukhi: Sure. Just decide where the message should go, then right before the getJSON request, do $('#myContainer').text('loading...') and inside the getJSON callback, do $('#myContainer').text('')