>>>>Add it on the server?:

var xxx = _itemTreeAdapter.GetAll().Select(it=> new {id = it.NodeId, Descrip = it.Descrip}).OrderBy(it=>it.Descrip);
>>>>var itemTrees = xxx.ToList();
>>>>itemTrees.Insert(0, new { id = 0, Descrip = "Select Item Tree... " });

or in JavaScript:

metaDate.itemTrees.unshift({ id: 0, Descrip: 'Select Item Tree...' });

>>>
>>>Hi Viv,
>>>
>>>Thanks a lot, I'll try that. For some reason similar, but more complex code (as I read that unshift doesn't work in IE8) didn't work in JavaScript. The item was added OK, but it was not shown and I can not figure why.
>>
>>I think I read somewhere that unshift works in IE8 but that didn't return the new length as per specs. Wouldn't matter in this case.
>>
>>But if you always want to add the extra item (and are using the dropdown on other pages) then I'd lean towards doing it on the server anyway ......
>
>What is strange and I don't understand, as why this item added in JavaScript or in the cshtml with
>

><option value="0">Select ...</option>

>
>doesn't show up at all in the list. However, if I use option value="" then it shows up but causing this weird error. Do you see why there is such a problem?

That option, for some reason, generates (on Chrome anyway):

<option value class>Select Item Tree...</option>

Don't know what your form validation would make of that :-{