Creating a social networking/ dating site with CI general advice

[eluser]phpserver[/eluser]
Well,upgrading to 2.0 won't be a problem.If you google 'upgrading codeigniter 1.7.2 to 2.0' you will find a solution on how to upgrade.Modular separation is useful on many levels depending on how you approach it.Have a look at http://codeigniter.com/wiki/Matchbox/ .In your social dating application you may need to add some functionality without having to add another controller or another function to an existing controller.

That's where modular separation comes in.You can create a module and mind you a module will contain libraries,models,controllers and even views.If you look at matchbox you will get the idea.There are several modular separation libraries available to you,so you may have a look at them.

For a templating solution:

Simple: http://maestric.com/doc/php/codeigniter_template

Advanced: http://codeigniter.com/wiki/Ocular_Layout_Library/