code: public Map<String, Object> getProperties() {
          // Shallow copy entries to a newly instantiated HashMap.
          Map<String, Object> clone = new HashMap<String, Object>();
          Set<Entry<String, Object>> set = _properties.entrySet();
          
          for (Entry<String, Object> entry : set) {
              // There wouldn't be any entry with a null value.
              clone.put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
          }
          
          return clone;
      }
docs: Returns a clone of the properties HashMap by shallow copying the values.
  
  @return HashMap with the name-value pairs