code: public static String getAttrVal(final Element el, final String name)
        throws SAXException {
      Attr at = el.getAttributeNode(name);
      if (at == null) {
        return null;
      }
  
      return at.getValue();
    }
docs: Return the value of the named attribute of the given element.
  
  @param el          Element
  @param name        String name of desired attribute
  @return String     attribute value or null
  @throws SAXException