// js code after document is ready
// Search autocomplete
$("#swSearch").autocomplete({
	minLength: 1,
	source: function(req, add){
		$.ajax({
			url: '/search', //Controller where search is performed
			dataType: 'json',
			type: 'POST',
			data: req,
			success: function(data){
				if(data.response =='true'){
				   add(data.message);
				}
			}
		});
	}
});





// Controller search function

$keyword = $this->input->post('term');

$data['response'] = 'false'; //Set default response

$query = $this->Mprofile->sw_search($keyword); //Model DB search

if($query->num_rows() > 0){
   $data['response'] = 'true'; //Set response
   $data['message'] = array(); //Create array
   foreach($query->result() as $row){
	  $data['message'][] = array('label'=> $row->friendly_name, 'value'=> $row->friendly_name); //Add a row to array
   }
}
echo json_encode($data);



// Simple model example

public function sw_search($keyword)
    {
        $this->db->select('id, friendly_name');
        $this->db->from('business_category');
        $this->db->where('suppress', 0);
        $this->db->like('friendly_name', $keyword);
        $this->db->order_by("friendly_name", "asc");
        
        $query = $this->db->get();
        foreach($query->result_array() as $row){
            //$data[$row['friendly_name']];
            $data[] = $row;
        }
        //return $data;
        return $query;
    }

// js code after document is ready
// Search autocomplete
$("#swSearch").autocomplete({
		minLength: 1,
		source: function(req, add){
			$.ajax({
				url: '/search', //Controller where search is performed
				dataType: 'json',
				type: 'POST',
				data: req,
				success: function(data){
					if(data.response =='true'){
					   add(data.message);
					}
				}
			});
		}
	});





// Controller search function

$keyword = $this->input->post('term');

$data['response'] = 'false'; //Set default response

$query = $this->Mprofile->sw_search($keyword); //Model DB search

if($query->num_rows() > 0){
   $data['response'] = 'true'; //Set response
   $data['message'] = array(); //Create array
   foreach($query->result() as $row){
	  $data['message'][] = array('label'=> $row->friendly_name, 'value'=> $row->friendly_name); //Add a row to array
   }
}
echo json_encode($data);



// Simple model example

public function sw_search($keyword)
    {
        $this->db->select('id, friendly_name');
        $this->db->from('business_category');
        $this->db->where('suppress', 0);
        $this->db->like('friendly_name', $keyword);
        $this->db->order_by("friendly_name", "asc");
        
        $query = $this->db->get();
        foreach($query->result_array() as $row){
            //$data[$row['friendly_name']];
            $data[] = $row;
        }
        //return $data;
        return $query;
    }

example I used to create a auto suggest search from that pulls from a database.  The example pulls from a single db table containing categories.  Using jQueryUI made this pretty painless but by default the autocomplete feature uses GET variables and you must enable these in your Codeigniter settings to work properly.\r\n\r\nThis example uses POST variables instead so the js is modified accordingly.

Codeigniter Auto Complete Search

dropdown, search, jquery

PHP