This is what XmlTextReader.cs from the mono project says:

 // LAMESPEC: Orthodox XML reader should normalize attribute values   

and therefore mono normalizes attributes whether or not Normalize is set. Next time I have access to a machine running Windows, I will double-check how MS .net does it.

The XML specification says:
"Before the value of an attribute is passed to the application or checked for validity, the XML processor MUST normalize the attribute value by applying the algorithm below, or by using some other method such that the value passed to the application is the same as that produced by the algorithm."

See the following example; it should output "nächster", but outputs "nächster"


using System.Xml;
using System.IO;
using System;

public class XmlDemo {
        public static void Main() {
                StringReader sr = new StringReader("<x value=\"n&#228;chster\"/>");
                XmlTextReader xr = new XmlTextReader (sr);
                xr.Read();
                xr.MoveToAttribute("value");
                Console.Out.WriteLine(xr.Value);
        }
}