Add “- Please Select -” to a required CCK field

Question

In Drupal 6, by default, a required CCK field will display the first allowed value.
I want it displays "- Please Select -": Is there an easy way to do this?

I do not want to save "- Please Select -" in the database.

Answer 1

Use the key|label format for allowed values:

|-Please Select -
1|option1
2|option2
3|option3

By making the key for "-Please Select -" an empty string, the form can't be submitted with this value.

Answer 2

In the list of options of global settings of field you can put in first place the option - Please Select - :

-Please Select -
option1
option2
option3

Save the field.

After in the field settings you choose - Please Select - in default value of the field.

Finally you save the configuration of field.

Answer 3

Put your field as not required and then in a hook_nodeapi() check that the user has effectively selected a value:

function custom_nodeapi(&$node, $op, $a3 = NULL, $a4 = NULL) {
  if ($op == 'validate') {
      if ($node->field_select[0]['value'] == '') {
        form_set_error('field_select', t('Please select a value.'));
      }
  }
}

Answer 4

seems like AHAH can do the job to populate select list or add items: AHAH - populating a select (list) with a select (drop-down).