CI 3 formv alidation error

               
Hello The following script in red is causing a validation error with the form, is there an alternative way for writing this line of code. for some resason i am getting error Item Title is required and all the variable names a re correct i just cant understand.
<div class="control-group">
 <label class="control-label" for="item_title">Item Title </label>
 <div class="controls">
<input type="text" class="span6" id="item_title"  value ="<?php  $item_title; ?>">
the script below is on the same form and it works fine saves to the data base when the above script the view is disabled can someone help me.
<div class="control-group hidden-phone">

 <label class="control-label" for="textarea2">Textarea WYSIWYG</label>
 <div class="controls">
<textarea class="cleditor" id="textarea2" rows="3" name ="item_discription"><?php echo $item_discription;?></textarea>
 </div>
</div>

Hey Vincent,

Busted for doing David Connelly's shop tutorials! 

I don't understand what you mean by 'the view is disabled'. But what you should try is to echo $item_title.

Change 

PHP Code:

<input type="text" class="span6" id="item_title"  value ="<?php  $item_title; ?>"> 


into

PHP Code:

<input type="text" class="span6" id="item_title"  value ="<?php echo $item_title; ?>"> 


Does that help?

-Roger