An XML attribute declared as xs:boolean can acceptable be "true", "false", "0" or "1". However, in .NET, Boolean.Parse() will only accept "true" or "false". If it sees a "0" or "1", it throws a "Bad Format" exception.
So, given that, what's the best way to parse such a value into a Boolean?
(Unfortunately, I'm limited to .NET 2.0 solutions, but if v3.5 offers something, I'd love to hear about it.)
Using CBool instead of Boolean.Parse should do the trick: although you'll have to embed it in a try/catch block (which wouldn't be required when using Boolean.TryParse), it will successfully convert most 'sensible' boolean values, including true/false and 0/1.
Edit: as pointed out in a comment, this answer is kinda useless for C# programmers, as CBool is a VB-ism. It maps to Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions::ToBoolean, which is not suitable for general consumption. Which makes the XMLConvert class pointed out in the accepted answer an even better alternative.