When -copy is specified on the command line, ASN1C will generate overridden clone methods in Java code. These methods perform a deep copy.

It is noted by many that writing a good clone() method is non-trivial, and we found this to be true. In general, users can expect clone to act as it is specified in the Java documentation. The sole exception to this is that Asn1Enumerated instances are immutable and will return themselves rather than a new instance.

The clone method is provided in the following form:

   @Override
   public Object clone()
      throws CloneNotSupportedException
   {
      /* ... */
   }

When users generate code compatible with the CLDC or Java Micro Edition, the @Override annotation is removed.