[template] Store initial option as index in template select (#11523)

esphome/components/template/select/__init__.py

@@ -73,11 +73,18 @@ async def to_code(config):
         cg.add(var.set_template(template_))
 
     else:
-        cg.add(var.set_optimistic(config[CONF_OPTIMISTIC]))
+        # Only set if non-default to avoid bloating setup() function
-        cg.add(var.set_initial_option(config[CONF_INITIAL_OPTION]))
+        if config[CONF_OPTIMISTIC]:
+            cg.add(var.set_optimistic(True))
+        initial_option_index = config[CONF_OPTIONS].index(config[CONF_INITIAL_OPTION])
+        # Only set if non-zero to avoid bloating setup() function
+        # (initial_option_index_ is zero-initialized in the header)
+        if initial_option_index != 0:
+            cg.add(var.set_initial_option_index(initial_option_index))
 
-        if CONF_RESTORE_VALUE in config:
+        # Only set if True (default is False)
-            cg.add(var.set_restore_value(config[CONF_RESTORE_VALUE]))
+        if config.get(CONF_RESTORE_VALUE):
+            cg.add(var.set_restore_value(True))
 
     if CONF_SET_ACTION in config:
         await automation.build_automation(

esphome/components/template/select/template_select.cpp

@@ -10,26 +10,21 @@ void TemplateSelect::setup() {
   if (this->f_.has_value())
     return;
 
-  std::string value;
+  size_t index = this->initial_option_index_;
-  if (!this->restore_value_) {
+  if (this->restore_value_) {
-    value = this->initial_option_;
-    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from initial: %s", value.c_str());
-  } else {
-    size_t index;
     this->pref_ = global_preferences->make_preference<size_t>(this->get_preference_hash());
-    if (!this->pref_.load(&index)) {
+    size_t restored_index;
-      value = this->initial_option_;
+    if (this->pref_.load(&restored_index) && this->has_index(restored_index)) {
-      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from initial (could not load stored index): %s", value.c_str());
+      index = restored_index;
-    } else if (!this->has_index(index)) {
+      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from restore: %s", this->at(index).value().c_str());
-      value = this->initial_option_;
-      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from initial (restored index %d out of bounds): %s", index, value.c_str());
     } else {
-      value = this->at(index).value();
+      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from initial (could not load or invalid stored index): %s", this->at(index).value().c_str());
-      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from restore: %s", value.c_str());
     }
+  } else {
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "State from initial: %s", this->at(index).value().c_str());
   }
 
-  this->publish_state(value);
+  this->publish_state(this->at(index).value());
 }
 
 void TemplateSelect::update() {
@@ -69,7 +64,8 @@ void TemplateSelect::dump_config() {
                 "  Optimistic: %s\n"
                 "  Initial Option: %s\n"
                 "  Restore Value: %s",
-                YESNO(this->optimistic_), this->initial_option_.c_str(), YESNO(this->restore_value_));
+                YESNO(this->optimistic_), this->at(this->initial_option_index_).value().c_str(),
+                YESNO(this->restore_value_));
 }
 
 }  // namespace template_

esphome/components/template/select/template_select.h

@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ class TemplateSelect : public select::Select, public PollingComponent {
 
   Trigger<std::string> *get_set_trigger() const { return this->set_trigger_; }
   void set_optimistic(bool optimistic) { this->optimistic_ = optimistic; }
-  void set_initial_option(const std::string &initial_option) { this->initial_option_ = initial_option; }
+  void set_initial_option_index(size_t initial_option_index) { this->initial_option_index_ = initial_option_index; }
   void set_restore_value(bool restore_value) { this->restore_value_ = restore_value; }
 
  protected:
   void control(const std::string &value) override;
   bool optimistic_ = false;
-  std::string initial_option_;
+  size_t initial_option_index_{0};
   bool restore_value_ = false;
   Trigger<std::string> *set_trigger_ = new Trigger<std::string>();
   optional<optional<std::string> (*)()> f_;

tests/integration/fixtures/host_mode_empty_string_options.yaml

@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ select:
       - ""  # Empty string at the end
     initial_option: "Choice X"
 
+  - platform: template
+    name: "Select Initial Option Test"
+    id: select_initial_option_test
+    optimistic: true
+    options:
+      - "First"
+      - "Second"
+      - "Third"
+      - "Fourth"
+    initial_option: "Third"  # Test non-default initial option
+
 # Add a sensor to ensure we have other entities in the list
 sensor:
   - platform: template

tests/integration/test_host_mode_empty_string_options.py

@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ async def test_host_mode_empty_string_options(
 
         # Find our select entities
         select_entities = [e for e in entity_info if isinstance(e, SelectInfo)]
-        assert len(select_entities) == 3, (
+        assert len(select_entities) == 4, (
-            f"Expected 3 select entities, got {len(select_entities)}"
+            f"Expected 4 select entities, got {len(select_entities)}"
         )
 
         # Verify each select entity by name and check their options
@@ -71,6 +71,15 @@ async def test_host_mode_empty_string_options(
         assert empty_last.options[2] == "Choice Z"
         assert empty_last.options[3] == ""  # Empty string at end
 
+        # Check "Select Initial Option Test" - verify non-default initial option
+        assert "Select Initial Option Test" in selects_by_name
+        initial_option_test = selects_by_name["Select Initial Option Test"]
+        assert len(initial_option_test.options) == 4
+        assert initial_option_test.options[0] == "First"
+        assert initial_option_test.options[1] == "Second"
+        assert initial_option_test.options[2] == "Third"
+        assert initial_option_test.options[3] == "Fourth"
+
         # If we got here without protobuf decoding errors, the fix is working
         # The bug would have caused "Invalid protobuf message" errors with trailing bytes
 
@@ -78,7 +87,12 @@ async def test_host_mode_empty_string_options(
         # This ensures empty strings work properly in state messages too
         states: dict[int, EntityState] = {}
         states_received_future: asyncio.Future[None] = loop.create_future()
-        expected_select_keys = {empty_first.key, empty_middle.key, empty_last.key}
+        expected_select_keys = {
+            empty_first.key,
+            empty_middle.key,
+            empty_last.key,
+            initial_option_test.key,
+        }
         received_select_keys = set()
 
         def on_state(state: EntityState) -> None:
@@ -109,6 +123,14 @@ async def test_host_mode_empty_string_options(
         assert empty_first.key in states
         assert empty_middle.key in states
         assert empty_last.key in states
+        assert initial_option_test.key in states
+
+        # Verify the initial option is set correctly to "Third" (not the default "First")
+        initial_state = states[initial_option_test.key]
+        assert initial_state.state == "Third", (
+            f"Expected initial state 'Third' but got '{initial_state.state}' - "
+            f"initial_option not correctly applied"
+        )
 
         # The main test is that we got here without protobuf errors
         # The select entities with empty string options were properly encoded