Set your Database table and table fields at the top, and screw creating models for interfacing with one table.

Generic CodeIgniter Model

<?php if (!defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');

/**
 * Generic CodeIgniter Database Model - One table version
 * 
 * Set your Database table and table fields at the top, 
 * and screw creating models for interfacing with one table.
 *
 * Disclaimer: I'll answer questions or whatever, but I'm creating 
 * this to speed my own development up. I hope it helps, but it's not supported. 
 *
 * SCHEMA:
 * Create a table 
 *   - with an "id" column that's an auto-increment primary key.
 *   - Some custom fields in here to be whatever you want
 *   - with a "created_datetime" column that's format DATETIME
 *   - with a "modified_datetime" column that's format DATETIME
 * 
 * STARTER TABLE (My)SQL:
 * CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS YOUR_TABLE_NAME ( id INTEGER(11) AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY, created_datetime DATETIME, modified_datetime DATETIME ); 
 * @TODO Some way to manage joins?
 *
 */
class YOUR_NAME_model extends CI_Model {
	
	private $table_name = 'YOUR_TABLE_NAME';
	private $field_keys = array("YOUR_FIELD_NAMES");
	
	function __construct() {
		parent::__construct();
	}
	
	function create_record($params=null) {
		$params = $this->_check_array_keys( $params, $this->field_keys );
		foreach($params as $key => $value){
			$this->db->set( $key, $value );
		}
		$this->db->set( 'created_datetime', "NOW()", FALSE );
		$this->db->set( 'modified_datetime', "NOW()", FALSE );
		$this->db->insert( $this->table_name );
		return $this->db->insert_id();
	}
	
	function retrieve_record($id=null, $where=null) {
		if ( isset($where["key"]) ) { $this->db->where( $where["key"], $where["value"] ); }
		elseif ( $where ) {
			foreach($where as $where_item){
				$this->db->where( $where_item["key"], $where_item["value"] );
			}
		}
		$query = $this->db->get_where($this->table_name, array('id' => $id), 1);
		return $query->row();
	}
	
	function update_record($params=null, $id=null) {
		$params["modified_datetime"] = "NOW()";
		$this->db->where('id', $id);
		$this->db->update( $this->table_name, $params ); 
		return $this->db->affected_rows();
	}
	
	function delete_record($id=null) {
		$this->db->delete($this->table_name, array('id' => $id)); 
		return $this->db->affected_rows();
	}
	
	function list_records($offset=0, $limit=20, $where=null){
		if ( isset($where["key"]) ) { $this->db->where( $where["key"], $where["value"] ); }
		elseif ( $where ) {
			foreach($where as $where_item){
				$this->db->where( $where_item["key"], $where_item["value"] );
			}
		}
		$query = $this->db->get( $this->table_name, $limit, $offset);
		return $query->result();
	}

	function count_records($where) {
		$this->db->where( $where["key"], $where["value"] );
		$this->db->from( $this->table_name );
		return $this->db->count_all_results();
	}
	
	private function _check_array_keys( $params, $validator ) {
		foreach( $params as $key=>$val ){
			if( ! in_array ( $key, $validator ) ){
				unset( $params[$key] );
			}
		}
		return $params;
	}
	
}