Message: mysqli_real_escape_string() expects parameter 1 to be mysqli, boolean given

It doesn't seem to be anything you're doing. It looks like it might be an issue with your host's implementation of MySQL. Does your problem start when you move your application from your local computer to your internet host? I suppose it could also be a bug in Codeigniter. Check out this Stack Overflow question.

Hey, don't work without a PHP debugger. Several free IDEs have this features built in. Two are NetBeans and CodeLobster. Without a debugger, it's like you're driving with a blindfold on -- you are going to crash!