title: Why doesn't XElement have a GetAttributeValue method?
body: <p>Sometimes I'd like to know the reasoning of certain API changes. Since Google hasn't helped me with this question, maybe StackOverflow can. Why did Microsoft choose to remove the <code>GetAttribute</code> helper method on XML elements? In the <code>System.Xml</code> world there was <code>XmlElement.GetAttribute("x")</code> like <code>getAttribute</code> in MSXML before it, both of which return either the attribute value or an empty string when missing. With <code>XElement</code> there's <code>SetAttributeValue</code> but <code>GetAttributeValue</code> wasn't implemented.</p>
  
  <p>Certainly it's not too much work to modify logic to test and use the <code>XElement.Attribute("x").Value</code> property but it's not as convenient and providing the utility function one way (<code>SetAttributeValue</code>) but not the other seems weird. Does anyone out there know the reasons behind the decision so that I can rest easily and maybe learn something from it?</p>