def get_attribute(name)
#            puts "get_attribute #{name}"
# Check if this arg is already converted
      name_s = name.to_s
      name = name.to_sym
      att_meta = get_att_meta(name)
#            puts "att_meta for #{name}: " + att_meta.inspect
      if att_meta && att_meta.type == :clob
        ret = @lobs[name]
#                puts 'get_attribute clob ' + ret.inspect
        if ret
          if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
            return nil
          else
            return ret
          end
        end
# get it from s3
        unless new_record?
          if self.class.get_sr_config[:single_clob]
            begin
              single_clob = s3_bucket(false, :s3_bucket=>:new).get(single_clob_id)
              single_clob = JSON.parse(single_clob)
#                            puts "single_clob=" + single_clob.inspect
              single_clob.each_pair do |name2, val|
                @lobs[name2.to_sym] = val
              end
              ret = @lobs[name]
              SimpleRecord.stats.s3_gets += 1
            rescue Aws::AwsError => ex
              if ex.include?(/NoSuchKey/) || ex.include?(/NoSuchBucket/)
                ret = nil
              else
                raise ex
              end
            end
          else
            begin
              ret = s3_bucket.get(s3_lob_id(name))
                # puts 'got from s3 ' + ret.inspect
              SimpleRecord.stats.s3_gets += 1
            rescue Aws::AwsError => ex
              if ex.include?(/NoSuchKey/) || ex.include?(/NoSuchBucket/)
                ret = nil
              else
                raise ex
              end
            end
          end

          if ret.nil?
            ret = RemoteNil.new
          end
        end
        @lobs[name] = ret
        return nil if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
        return ret
      else
        @attributes_rb = {} unless @attributes_rb # was getting errors after upgrade.
        ret = @attributes_rb[name_s] # instance_variable_get(instance_var)
        return ret unless ret.nil?
        return nil if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
        ret = get_attribute_sdb(name)
                                                  #                p ret
        ret = sdb_to_ruby(name, ret)
                                                  #                p ret
        @attributes_rb[name_s] = ret
        return ret
      end

    end
def get_attribute(name)
#            puts "get_attribute #{name}"
# Check if this arg is already converted
      name_s = name.to_s
      name = name.to_sym
      att_meta = get_att_meta(name)
#            puts "att_meta for #{name}: " + att_meta.inspect
      if att_meta && att_meta.type == :clob
        ret = @lobs[name]
#                puts 'get_attribute clob ' + ret.inspect
        if ret
          if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
            return nil
          else
            return ret
          end
        end
# get it from s3
        unless new_record?
          if self.class.get_sr_config[:single_clob]
            begin
              single_clob = s3_bucket(false, :s3_bucket=>:new).get(single_clob_id)
              single_clob = JSON.parse(single_clob)
#                            puts "single_clob=" + single_clob.inspect
              single_clob.each_pair do |name2, val|
                @lobs[name2.to_sym] = val
              end
              ret = @lobs[name]
              SimpleRecord.stats.s3_gets += 1
            rescue Aws::AwsError => ex
              if ex.include?(/NoSuchKey/) || ex.include?(/NoSuchBucket/)
                ret = nil
              else
                raise ex
              end
            end
          else
            begin
              ret = s3_bucket.get(s3_lob_id(name))
                # puts 'got from s3 ' + ret.inspect
              SimpleRecord.stats.s3_gets += 1
            rescue Aws::AwsError => ex
              if ex.include?(/NoSuchKey/) || ex.include?(/NoSuchBucket/)
                ret = nil
              else
                raise ex
              end
            end
          end

          if ret.nil?
            ret = RemoteNil.new
          end
        end
        @lobs[name] = ret
        return nil if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
        return ret
      else
        @attributes_rb = {} unless @attributes_rb # was getting errors after upgrade.
        ret = @attributes_rb[name_s] # instance_variable_get(instance_var)
        return ret unless ret.nil?
        return nil if ret.is_a? RemoteNil
        ret = get_attribute_sdb(name)
                                                  #                p ret
        ret = sdb_to_ruby(name, ret)
                                                  #                p ret
        @attributes_rb[name_s] = ret
        return ret
      end

    end
Since SimpleDB supports multiple attributes per value, the values are an array.
 This method will return the value unwrapped if it's the only, otherwise it will return the array.