Databound drop down list - initial value

Question

How do I set the initial value of a databound drop down list in ASP.NET?

For instance, I want the values, but the first value to display should be -- Select One ---

Answer 1

I know this already has a chosen answer - but I wanted to toss in my two cents. I have a databound dropdown list:

In the codebehind, I have this - (which selects United States by default):

if (this.IsPostBack)
{
  //handle posted data
}
else 
{
  country.SelectedValue = "US";
}

The page initially loads based on the 'US' value rather than trying to worry about a selectedIndex (what if another item is added into the data table - I don't want to have to re-code)