How to use Codeigniter REST and Response method - codeigniter

Question

I'm new to REST API and CURL and I've been referring to http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/php/working-with-restful-services-in-codeigniter-2/
If I change the error code from 403 to 200 I get the output:
'Error occured'.
If I leave the errror code as 403 I get output:
'Something has gone wrong'.
From doing some reading it seems I'm correct to give an error code of some sort but how do I pass back some more details on the error? How should I be responding?
My API
public function login_put() {
$valid = $this->membership_model->validate_username($this->put('username'));
if($valid !== TRUE){
$this->response(array('status' => 'error', 'msg' => 'error_details'), 403);
}
}
MY CURL tester
function curl_put()
{
$this->load->library('curl');
$this->curl->create('http://localhost/api/login/format/json');
$this->curl->put(array(
'username' => 'my_username'
));
$result = json_decode($this->curl->execute());
if( isset($result->status) && $result->status == 'error' ) {
echo 'Error occured';
} else {
echo 'Something has gone wrong';
}
}

Answer 1

Looks like you're missing a reference in your curl url. If the file where login_put is called login.php, your url should look like:
http://localhost/api/login/login/format/json
First, we have your domain, then the reference to the API. The first login referrs to the controller within the api folder and the second refers to the function name you defined (login_put)