code: protected Attribute copy(final long _parentId)
      {
          final Attribute ret = new Attribute(getId(), _parentId, getName(), this.sqlTable, this.attributeType,
                          this.defaultValue, this.dimensionUUID, this.required, this.size, this.scale);
          ret.getSqlColNames().addAll(getSqlColNames());
          ret.setLink(this.link);
          ret.setClassName(getClassName());
          ret.getProperties().putAll(getProperties());
          return ret;
      }
docs: The method makes a clone of the current attribute instance.
  @param _parentId if of the parent type
  @return clone of current attribute instance