Problems with programmatically selecting node in jsTree on page start-up - jstree

Question

I can't select a tree element on page start-up. There is a JSFiddle with the setup: https://jsfiddle.net/voltel/aszn3h46/
My data is JSON array:
const a_data = [
{
"id": "1296",
"text": "Disposable and Single-Use Medical Supplies",
"children": null
},
{
"id": "1275",
"text": "Implantables",
"children": [
{
"id": "1276",
"text": "Defibrillators, Implantable",
"children": null
},
{
"id": "1338",
"text": "Analysers, Laboratory In-Vitro Diagnostic, Clinical Chemistry, Manual",
"children": null
},
]}
];
// Rest of JavaScript code
const $tree = $("#display");
$tree.jstree({
'plugins' : [ "wholerow", "checkbox" ],
'core': {
data : a_data
},
'checkbox': {
three_state: false
},
});
//
// The problem: I can't select/check node with this id
const c_icd_device_type = "1338";
// show initial value
if (c_icd_device_type) {
console.log(`Request to select node with id ${c_icd_device_type}`);
const o_selected_node = $tree.jstree('get_node', c_icd_device_type);
console.log('Selected node: ', o_selected_node);
// Uncomment ONE of the following:
if (o_selected_node) {
$tree.jstree('select_node', o_selected_node, true);
} else {
$tree.jstree(true).select_node(c_icd_device_type);
}//endif
}//endif
Please, help select a node on start-up, and get rid of some suspicious errors in console (see JSFiddle).
Now, I understand from other questions on jsTree here on StackOverflow, that if wrap my code selecting an element in an event handler, it works. I don't quite understand why it is so complicated, provided there are no asynchronous calls. And if it's unavoidable, why not use Promise?
$tree.on('ready.jstree', function (e, data) {
console.log(`Request to select node with id ${c_icd_device_type}`);
const o_selected_node = data.instance.get_node(c_icd_device_type);
//const o_selected_node = $tree.jstree('get_node', c_icd_device_type);
console.log('Selected node: ', o_selected_node);
// Uncomment ONE of the following:
if (o_selected_node) {
$tree.jstree('select_node', o_selected_node, true);
} else {
$tree.jstree(true).select_node(c_icd_device_type);
}//endif
});

Answer 1

I don't see any errors in console on Chrome:
Your code is fine. It just that the tree isn't ready yet. If you wrap your existing code inside ready.jstree event, it'll work.
$tree.on('ready.jstree', function (e, data) {
// Copy line 38 onward and place your existing code here
});