jQuery: set selected value of dropdown list?

Question

What's wrong with this code?

jQuery

$(document).ready(function() {     $("#routetype").val('quietest'); )}; 

HTML

<select id="routetype" name="routetype">     <option value="fastest">Fastest</option>     <option selected="true" value="balanced">Balanced</option>     <option value="quietest">Quietest</option> </select> 

Fiddle

It gives me 'Balanced' as the selected option, not 'Quietest'.

Answer 1

UPDATED ANSWER:

Old answer, correct method nowadays is to use jQuery's .prop(). IE, element.prop("selected", true)

OLD ANSWER:

Use this instead:

$("#routetype option[value='quietest']").attr("selected", "selected"); 

Fiddle'd: http://jsfiddle.net/x3UyB/4/

Answer 2

You need to select jQuery in the dropdown on the left and you have a syntax error because the $(document).ready should end with }); not )}; Check this link.