Is there a way to access Ethereum Smart Contract's variables by name in JavaScript?

ThePiachu

Say I have a simple smart contract:

    contract Simple {
	    string32 message;

	    function Simple() {
            message = "Hello world!";
	    }
    }

How can I easily access the `message` variable by name in JavaScript? It looks like there is some way to map functions into JS (https://dappsforbeginners.wordpress.com/tutorials/javascript-api-2/), but variables appear to only be accessible through a complicated way (https://dappsforbeginners.wordpress.com/tutorials/javascript-api-1/):

    var storageObject = web3.eth.storageAt(contractAddress);
    document.getElementById('fullName').innerText = web3.toAscii(storageObject['0x']) + ' ' + web3.toAscii(storageObject['0x01']);

Smithgift

Mark the variable in question public (i.e. string32 public message;) An accessor function should be generated, such that you can use something like SimpleContractInstance.message() to get the message. This is also possible with simpler structs and arrays (i.e. MyInstance.someArray(4) gives you the 4th element.)

timothyjcoulter

This might also be helpful, as well as Pudding:

Truffle: https://github.com/ConsenSys/truffle
Pudding: https://github.com/ConsenSys/ether-pudding

Full disclosure: I authored both.