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HTML `<select>` Element Not Retaining Value After Form Submission with JavaScript Validation

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html javascript form-validation JavaScript

I've been struggling with this for a few days now and could really use some help. I'm working with an scenario with an HTML `<select>` element where the selected value does not continue after form submission due to JavaScript validation. I'm using vanilla JavaScript to validate the form fields, and when the validation fails, I prevent the form from submitting. However, after the validation behavior displays, the `<select>` element resets to its default state, losing the user's selection. Here's an example of my form: ```html <form id="myForm"> <label for="mySelect">Choose an option:</label> <select id="mySelect" name="mySelect"> <option value="" disabled selected>Select your option</option> <option value="option1">Option 1</option> <option value="option2">Option 2</option> </select> <button type="submit">Submit</button> </form> <div id="behavior-message" style="color: red;"></div> ``` And here’s the JavaScript validation code: ```javascript document.getElementById('myForm').addEventListener('submit', function(event) { let selectElement = document.getElementById('mySelect'); let errorMessage = document.getElementById('behavior-message'); if (selectElement.value === "") { errorMessage.textContent = "Please select an option."; event.preventDefault(); // Prevent form submission } else { errorMessage.textContent = ""; // Clear behavior message } }); ``` When the validation fails, the behavior message appears, but the selected value in the `<select>` element is lost, reverting to the default option. I've tried using `localStorage` to save the selected value temporarily but that feels like overkill for this situation. Is there a more straightforward way to retain the selected value after a validation behavior without making the user re-select their choice? For context: I'm using Javascript on Windows.