validate-select not working

Question

I have this form where validation for upload file works but validation for dropdown isn't working.

    <form name="designer-upload" class="designer-uploads form-group" id="designer-upload" action="<?php echo Mage::getUrl('designerr/account/upload/'); ?>" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">

        <ul class="form-list">
            <li class="fields">
                <?php $_helper = Mage::helper('catalog/category') ?>
                <?php $_categories = $_helper->getStoreCategories() ?>
                <?php $currentCategory = Mage::registry('current_category') ?>
                <?php if (count($_categories) > 0): ?>
                    <div class="fieldset">
                        <label  class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('Category') ?></label>
                        <select class="input-text required-entry" name="drp_category" id="drp_category" >
                            <option><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>
                            <?php
                            foreach ($_categories as $parent) {
                                echo '<option value="' . $parent->getId() . '">' . ucfirst($parent->getName()) . '</option>';
                            }
                            ?>
                        </select>
                    </div>
                <?php endif; ?>

                <div class="fieldset">
                    <label  class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('Subcategory') ?></label>
                    <select class="input-text required-entry" name="drp_subcategory" id="drp_subcategory" >
                        <option><?php echo $this->__('Please Select'); ?></option>

                    </select>
                </div>

            </li>
            <li class="wide">
                <div class="fieldset">
                    <label for="attachment" class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('attachment') ?></label>

                    <input name="MAX_FILE_SIZE" type="hidden" value="2000000"  />
                    <input name="attachment" id="attachment" class="input-text required-entry " type="file" />
                </div>
            </li>
        </ul>
        <div class="buttons-set">
            <input type="submit" name="submit" value="<?php echo $this->__('Submit') ?>" class="button" />
        </div>

    </form>

  <script type="text/javascript">
            //< ![CDATA[
            var customForm = new VarienForm('designer-upload', true);
            //]]>
        </script>

Answer 1

you have to add null or empty value to select for validation work.

when you add html like this

<option><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>

this <?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?> become value too. like this

<option value="<?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?>"><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>

so add it like

<option value=""><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>

<?php if (count($_categories) > 0): ?>
                    <div class="fieldset">
                        <label  class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('Category') ?></label>
                        <select class="input-text required-entry" name="drp_category" id="drp_category" >
                            <option value=""><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>
                            <?php
                            foreach ($_categories as $parent) {
                                echo '<option value="' . $parent->getId() . '">' . ucfirst($parent->getName()) . '</option>';
                            }
                            ?>
                        </select>
                    </div>
                <?php endif; ?>

Answer 2

Replace your code to bellow code

<form name="designer-upload" class="designer-uploads form-group" id="designer-upload" action="<?php echo Mage::getUrl('designerr/account/upload/'); ?>" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">

        <ul class="form-list">
            <li class="fields">
                <?php $_helper = Mage::helper('catalog/category') ?>
                <?php $_categories = $_helper->getStoreCategories() ?>
                <?php $currentCategory = Mage::registry('current_category') ?>
                <?php if (count($_categories) > 0): ?>
                    <div class="fieldset">
                        <label for="category" class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('Category') ?><span class="required">*</span></label>
                        <select class="required-entry select" name="drp_category" id="drp_category" >
                            <option value=""><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>
                            <?php
                            foreach ($_categories as $parent) {
                                echo '<option value="' . $parent->getId() . '">' . ucfirst($parent->getName()) . '</option>';
                            }
                            ?>
                        </select>
                    </div>
                <?php endif; ?>

                <div class="fieldset">
                    <label for="subcategory" class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('Subcategory') ?><span class="required">*</span></label>
                    <select class="required-entry select" name="drp_subcategory" id="drp_subcategory" >
                        <option value=""><?php echo $this->__('Please Select') ?></option>
                     </select>
                </div>

            </li>
            <li class="wide">
                <div class="fieldset">

                    <label for="attachment" class="bold-text"><?php echo $this->__('attachment') ?><span class="required">*</span></label>
                    <input name="MAX_FILE_SIZE" type="hidden" value="2000000"  />
                    <input name="attachment" id="attachment" class="input-text required-entry " type="file" />
                </div>
            </li>
        </ul>
        <div class="buttons-set">
            <input type="submit" name="submit" value="<?php echo $this->__('Submit') ?>" class="button" />
        </div>

    </form>

  <script type="text/javascript">
            //< ![CDATA[
            var customForm = new VarienForm('designer-upload', true);
            //]]>
        </script>