Code Igniter db engine return datasets with all values as strings. This function allows a controller to run a query and return an array of arrays with the correct object types. One might want to tweak it to support bindings.

queryWithProperTypes.php

<?php
class MY_Model extends CI_Model {
  
  /*
  
  ... you might have some logic of your own ...
  
  */

  /**
   * Runs a query and returns an array of array, with correct types (as Code Igniter
   * returns everything as string)
   * @param string $sql
   * @return array Array of array, where the first index is the row number, second is column name
   * @author pamaral
   */
  public function queryWithProperTypes($sql) {
  
  	$query = $this->db->query($sql);
  	$fields = $query->field_data();
  	$result = $query->result_array();
  	 
  	foreach ($result as $r => $row) {
  		$c = 0;
  		foreach ($row as $header => $value) {
  
  			// fix variables types according to what is expected from
  			// the database, as CodeIgniter get all as string.
  
  			// $c = column index (starting from 0)
  			// $r = row index (starting from 0)
  			// $header = column name
  			// $result[$r][$header] = that's the value to fix. Must reference like this because settype uses a pointer as param
  
  			$field = $fields[$c];
  
  			switch ($field->type) {
  
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_LONGLONG: // 8 = bigint
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_LONG: // 3 = int
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_TINY: // 1 = tinyint
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_SHORT: // 2 = smallint
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_INT24: // 9 = mediumint
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_YEAR: // 13 = year
  					settype($result[$r][$header], 'integer');
  					break;
  
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_DECIMAL: // 0 = decimal
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_NEWDECIMAL: // 246 = decimal
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_FLOAT: // 4 = float
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_DOUBLE: // 5 = double
  					settype($result[$r][$header], 'float');
  					break;
  
  				case MYSQLI_TYPE_BIT: // 16 = bit
  					settype($result[$r][$header], 'boolean');
  					break;
  
  			}
  
  			$c = $c + 1;
  		}
  	}
  	 
  	return $result;
  }
  
}