[eluser]CroNiX[/eluser]
Are you sure CI is doing that IN the database, or is it just that's what it looks like when you output it in HTML? In HTML, a series of more than 1 spaces gets truncated to a single space unless you use the HTML entity for a space when you output it. This is basic HTML and doesn't have anything to do with PHP or CI.
will print as
with a single space in HTML. If you want more spaces you have to use the HTML entity for a space.
You can try this with pure HTML and see.
Code:
<span> a span with multiple spaces</span>