Question: In my application in user registration I have a country picker..

```
<%= select(:user, :country, options_for_select(@COUNTRIES)) %>

```

And I want to add a prompt as a first default value (something like "--- select country ---"). Where and how should I put this option?

Answer: 
```
collection_select(:product,
  :category_id,
  Category.all,    
  :id,    
  :title,    
  {:prompt => true}
)

collection_select(:product,    
  :category_id,    
  Category.all,    
  :id,    
  :title,    
  {:include_blank => 'Please Select'}
)

```

both of these result in the same html, but the first one will not include the 'Please Select' option when you return to edit the previously created Product
Very simple:

```
select(:user, :country, options_for_select(@COUNTRIES), :prompt=>true)

```

For the prompt "Please select", or this for your custom text:

```
select(:user, :country, options_for_select(@COUNTRIES), :prompt=>"Select country")

```

Also note that `@COUNTRIES` is wrong, an instance variable should be lowercase - `@countries`, a contant would just be `COUNTRIES`.