[eluser]satterle[/eluser]
OK - more detail.
In the me_model, I created a function (form_data) and declared an array:
$data['fmeDescription'] = array('name'=>'meDescription', 'rows'=>3, 'cols'=>30);
I load the array in the controller:
$this->load->model('me_model');
$data = $this->me_model->form_data();
$this->load->view('form_view', $data);
In the view, I use the data:
print form_textarea($fmeDescription);
The issue is that when the array is named 'fmeDescription', the values do not populate the textarea tag <... name="" rows="12" cols="90">. There are about 15 arrays declared in the 'form_data' function and are used in the 'form_view' view. All work as expected. When I change the array name to 'stuff' or 'xmeDescription' or 'fxeDescription', the textarea tag is populated properly <... name="stuff" rows="3" cols="30">.
I suspect that I have stumbled upon an undocumented reserved name but can't find anything on it. The only thing on google is my original post :-).