This is a custom helper file I created for use in CodeIgniter. It generates form elements with semantic and accessible HTML and CSS with the hooks needed to utilize error reporting in CodeIgniter and in jQuery.

MY_form_helper.php

<?php
/**
 * SEMANTIC AND ACCESSIBLE FORMS HELPER FUNCTIONS
 * 
 * Some more accesible and semantic form helpers. I utilize the default form helpers as
 * much as possible to preserve the original syntax.
 * 
 */

/* FORM OPEN */

/**
 * RETURNS  html to open a form
 * 
 * @param	string	the URI segments of the form destination
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes
 * @param	array	a key/value pair hidden data 
 * @param   string  The displayed title of the form.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the form.
 * @param   boolean Choose if errors will be displayed at the top of the form.
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_open($action, $atts, $hidden, $title="", $desc="", $top_errors=TRUE)
{	
	
	// prepend sa-form class to class(es) in $atts['class']
	$class = 'sa-form '.(isset($atts['class']) ? $atts['class'] : '');
	// update $atts['class']
	$atts['class'] = $class;
	
	// call the original form_open() helper function
	$sa_form_open = form_open($action, $atts, $hidden);
	
	// write form title
	$sa_form_open .= ($title != "" ? '<h1>'.$title.'</h1>' : '');

	// write form description
	$sa_form_open .= ($desc != "" ? '<p>'.$desc.'</p>' : '');
	
	// display errors
	if ($top_errors) {
		$errors = validation_errors('<li>','</li>');
		$sa_form_open .= (!empty($errors) ? '<ul class="error">'.$errors.'</ul>' : '');
	}
	
	// write form instructions
	$sa_form_open .= '<small>';	
	$sa_form_open .= '<span  style="float:right">';
	$sa_form_open .= '<abbr class="requiredField" title="Fields marked with this symbol are required.">*</abbr>';
	$sa_form_open .= ' denotes a required field.</span>';
	$sa_form_open .= '<abbr title="Use these symbols to help you correctly fill out the form.">[?]</abbr>';
	$sa_form_open .= ' for help. ';
	$sa_form_open .= '<div style="clear:both"></div></small>';

	return $sa_form_open;

}

/* FORM SECTION (fieldset) */

/**
 * RETURNS html to open a section in a form
 *
 * @param   string  The id attribute of the fieldset tag and the legend title if no title is given.
 * @param   string  The legend title and if NOT "" also the displayed title of the section. 
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the section. 
 * @param   array   a key/value pair of attributes
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript)
 *
 * @return  string
 */
function sa_form_section($id, $title="", $desc="", $atts=array(),$extra="") {

	// declare default attributes
	$default_atts = array();
	
	// open fieldset tag and write attributes
	$sa_form_section = '<fieldset id="'.$id.'" '._parse_form_attributes($atts, $default_atts).' '.$extra.'>';

	// write section title
	$sa_form_section .= ($title != "" ? '<h2>'.$title.'</h2>' : '');

	if ($title == "") $title= $id;
	// write legend
	$sa_form_section .= '<legend class="screen-reader-text" >'.$title.'</legend>';

	// write description
	$sa_form_section .= ($desc != "" ? '<p>'.$desc.'</p>' : '');

	return $sa_form_section;

}

/* LABEL WRAPPER */

/**
 * RETURNS  field wrapped in a label tag with optional title and description
 * 
 * @param	string	a field
 * @param	string	the id of the field 
 * @param	bool	is it a required field?
 * @param   string  The displayed title of the form.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the form.
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_label_wrapper($field, $id, $req, $title="", $desc="", $atts=array())
{	
	
	// if required field add requiredField class to label
	$atts['class'] = ($req ? 'requiredField ' : '').(isset($atts['class']) ? $atts['class'] : '');		
	
	// write errors
	$label_text = form_error($id);
	
	// open .field-info span tag
	$label_text .= '<span class="field-info">';
	
	// write required field abbreviation
	$label_text .= ($req ? '<abbr class="requiredField"  title="This is a required field.">*</abbr>' : '');

	if ($title == "") $title = $id;
	// write field title
	$label_text .= $title.' ';

	// write description abbreviation
	$label_text .= ($desc != "" ? '<abbr title="'.$desc.'">[?]</abbr> ' : '');
	
	// close .field-info span tag
	$label_text .= '</span>';

	// write the field
	$label_text .= $field;	

	return form_label($label_text, $id, $atts);

}

/* TEXT INPUT */

/**
 * RETURNS  a text input field wrapped in a label
 *
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the field
 * @param	string	a default value for the field
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript)
 * @param   bool    is the string required? 
 * @param   string  The title displayed in the label for the field.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the field.
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the fields label
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_input($atts, $value="", $extra="", $req=FALSE, $title="", $desc="", $label_atts=array())
{	
	
	// set value	
	$value = set_value($atts['id'],$value);
	
	//add a default tabindex of 1 for accessibility
	if (!isset($atts['tabindex'])) $atts['tabindex'] = 1;	
	
	// call the original form_input() helper function
	$sa_form_input = form_input($atts, $value, $extra);
	
	// wrap field with label_wrapper()
	$sa_form_input = sa_label_wrapper($sa_form_input, $atts['id'], $req, $title, $desc, $label_atts);

	return $sa_form_input;

}

/* PASSWORD INPUT */

/**
 * RETURNS  a password input field wrapped in a label
 *
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the field
 * @param	string	a default value for the field
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript)
 * @param   bool    is the string required? 
 * @param   string  The title displayed in the label for the field.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the field.
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the fields label
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_password($atts, $value="", $extra="", $req=TRUE, $title="", $desc="", $label_atts=array())
{	
	
	// set value	
	$value = set_value($atts['id'],$value);
	
	//add a default tabindex of 1 for accessibility
	if (!isset($atts['tabindex'])) $atts['tabindex'] = 1;	
	
	// call the original form_password() helper function
	$sa_form_password = form_password($atts, $value, $extra);
	
	// wrap field with label_wrapper()
	$sa_form_password = sa_label_wrapper($sa_form_password, $atts['id'], $req, $title, $desc, $label_atts);

	return $sa_form_password;

}

/* FILE INPUT */

/**
 * RETURNS  a file input field wrapped in a label
 *
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the field
 * @param	string	a default value for the field
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript)
 * @param   bool    is the string required? 
 * @param   string  The title displayed in the label for the field.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the field.
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the fields label
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_upload($atts, $value="", $extra="", $req=FALSE, $title="", $desc="", $label_atts=array())
{	
	
	//add a default tabindex of 1 for accessibility
	if (!isset($atts['tabindex'])) $atts['tabindex'] = 1;	
	
	// call the original form_upload() helper function
	$sa_form_upload = form_upload($atts, $value, $extra);
	
	// wrap field with label_wrapper()
	$sa_form_upload = sa_label_wrapper($sa_form_upload, $atts['id'], $req, $title, $desc, $label_atts);

	return $sa_form_upload;

}

/* TEXTAREA */

/**
 * RETURNS  a textarea field wrapped in a label
 *
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the field
 * @param	string	a default value for the field
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript)
 * @param   bool    is the string required? 
 * @param   string  The title displayed in the label for the field.
 * @param   string  A longer description or instructions for the field.
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the fields label
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_textarea($atts, $value="", $extra="", $req=FALSE, $title="", $desc="", $label_atts=array())
{	
	
	// set value	
	$value = set_value($atts['id'],$value);
	
	//add a default rows of 5
	if (!isset($atts['rows'])) $atts['rows'] = 5;
	
	//add a default tabindex of 1 for accessibility
	if (!isset($atts['tabindex'])) $atts['tabindex'] = 1;	
	
	// call the original form_textarea() helper function
	$sa_form_textarea = form_textarea($atts, $value, $extra);
	
	// wrap field with label_wrapper()
	$sa_form_textarea = sa_label_wrapper($sa_form_textarea, $atts['id'], $req, $title, $desc, $label_atts);

	return $sa_form_textarea;

}

/* SUBMIT INPUT */

/**
 * RETURNS  a text input field wrapped in a label
 *
 * @param	array	a key/value pair of attributes for the field
 * @param	string	a default value for the field
 * @param   string  additional data for the field (i.e. javascript) 
 *
 * @return string
 */
function sa_form_submit($atts, $value="", $extra="")
{	
	
	//add a default tabindex of 1 for accessibility
	if (!isset($atts['tabindex'])) $atts['tabindex'] = 1;	
	
	// call the original form_input() helper function
	$sa_form_submit = form_submit($atts, $value, $extra);	

	return $sa_form_submit;

}

/* End of file MY_form_helper.php */
/* Location: ./application/helpers/MY_form_helper.php */