private List<String> rebuildAttributes(SimpleFeatureType sft) {
    Layer layer = applicationLayer.getService().getSingleLayer(applicationLayer.getLayerName());
    List<String> attributesToRetain = new ArrayList<String>();
    for (AttributeDescriptor ad : sft.getAttributes()) {
      String name = ad.getName();

      String fullName = sft.getId() + ":" + name;
      // if attribute already added return.
      if (attributesToRetain.contains(fullName)) {
        return attributesToRetain;
      }
      attributesToRetain.add(fullName);

      // Used for display in JSP
      if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(ad.getAlias())) {
        attributeAliases.put(fullName, ad.getAlias());
      }

      if (applicationLayer.getAttribute(sft, name) == null) {
        ConfiguredAttribute ca = new ConfiguredAttribute();
        // default visible if not geometry type
        // and not a attribute of a related featuretype
        boolean defaultVisible = true;
        if (layer.getFeatureType().getId() != sft.getId()
            || AttributeDescriptor.GEOMETRY_TYPES.contains(ad.getType())) {
          defaultVisible = false;
        }
        ca.setVisible(defaultVisible);
        ca.setAttributeName(name);
        ca.setFeatureType(sft);
        applicationLayer.getAttributes().add(ca);
        Stripersist.getEntityManager().persist(ca);

        if (!"save".equals(getContext().getEventName())) {
          String message = "Nieuw attribuut \"{0}\" gevonden in ";
          if (layer.getFeatureType().getId() != sft.getId()) {
            message += "gekoppelde ";
          }
          message += "attribuutbron";
          if (layer.getFeatureType().getId() == sft.getId()) {
            message += ": wordt zichtbaar na opslaan";
          }
          getContext().getMessages().add(new SimpleMessage(message, name));
        }
      }
    }
    if (sft.getRelations() != null) {
      for (FeatureTypeRelation rel : sft.getRelations()) {
        attributesToRetain.addAll(rebuildAttributes(rel.getForeignFeatureType()));
      }
    }
    return attributesToRetain;
  }
  private void makeAttributeJSONArray(final SimpleFeatureType layerSft) throws JSONException {
    List<ConfiguredAttribute> cas = applicationLayer.getAttributes();
    // Sort the attributes, by featuretype and the featuretyp
    Collections.sort(
        cas,
        new Comparator<ConfiguredAttribute>() {
          @Override
          public int compare(ConfiguredAttribute o1, ConfiguredAttribute o2) {
            if (o1.getFeatureType() == null) {
              return -1;
            }
            if (o2.getFeatureType() == null) {
              return 1;
            }
            if (o1.getFeatureType().getId().equals(layerSft.getId())) {
              return -1;
            }
            if (o2.getFeatureType().getId().equals(layerSft.getId())) {
              return 1;
            }
            return o1.getFeatureType().getId().compareTo(o2.getFeatureType().getId());
          }
        });
    for (ConfiguredAttribute ca : cas) {
      JSONObject j = ca.toJSONObject();

      // Copy alias over from feature type
      SimpleFeatureType sft = ca.getFeatureType();
      if (sft == null) {
        sft = layerSft;
      }
      AttributeDescriptor ad = sft.getAttribute(ca.getAttributeName());
      j.put("alias", ad.getAlias());
      j.put("featureTypeAttribute", ad.toJSONObject());

      attributesJSON.put(j);
    }
  }