https://github.com/golang/go/issues/3688

golang-xml-nested-attrs.diff

diff --git a/src/pkg/encoding/xml/read.go b/src/pkg/encoding/xml/read.go
index c216824..09f0d85 100644
--- a/src/pkg/encoding/xml/read.go
+++ b/src/pkg/encoding/xml/read.go
@@ -451,6 +451,51 @@ func (p *Decoder) unmarshalPath(tinfo *typeInfo, sv reflect.Value, parents []str
 Loop:
 	for i := range tinfo.fields {
 		finfo := &tinfo.fields[i]
+		if finfo.flags&fAttr != 0 {
+			if len(finfo.parents) > len(parents) + 1 {
+				recurse = true
+				parents = finfo.parents[:len(parents)+1]
+			} else if len(finfo.parents) == len(parents) + 1 {
+				for _, a := range start.Attr {
+					if a.Name.Local == finfo.name {
+						v := sv.FieldByIndex(finfo.idx)
+						switch v.Kind() {
+						case reflect.Bool, reflect.Float32, reflect.Float64, reflect.Int, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int64, reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uintptr, reflect.String:
+							copyValue(v, []byte(a.Value))
+							continue Loop
+						case reflect.Slice:
+							typ := v.Type()
+							if typ.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
+								// []byte
+								copyValue(v, []byte(a.Value))
+								continue Loop
+							}
+
+							// Slice of element values.
+							// Grow slice.
+							n := v.Len()
+							if n >= v.Cap() {
+								ncap := 2 * n
+								if ncap < 4 {
+									ncap = 4
+								}
+								new := reflect.MakeSlice(typ, n, ncap)
+								reflect.Copy(new, v)
+								v.Set(new)
+							}
+							v.SetLen(n + 1)
+
+							// Recur to read element into slice.
+							copyValue(v.Index(n), []byte(a.Value))
+							continue Loop
+
+						default:
+							return false, errors.New("unknown type " + v.Type().String())
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		if finfo.flags&fElement == 0 || len(finfo.parents) < len(parents) {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/src/pkg/encoding/xml/xml_test.go b/src/pkg/encoding/xml/xml_test.go
index 1d0696c..f016507 100644
--- a/src/pkg/encoding/xml/xml_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/encoding/xml/xml_test.go
@@ -576,3 +576,92 @@ func TestProcInstEncoding(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNestedAttr(t *testing.T) {
+	type NestedAttr struct {
+		Version      string `xml:"version,attr"`
+		AbName       string `xml:"configuration>ab>name,attr"`
+		AbVariations int    `xml:"configuration>ab>variations,attr"`
+		Example      string `xml:"configuration>example"`
+	}
+	var a NestedAttr
+	err := Unmarshal([]byte(`
+		<rules version="1.0.1">
+			<configuration>
+				<ab name="ab test name" variations="5"/>
+				<example>example content</example>
+			</configuration>
+		</rules>
+	`), &a)
+	expectedNestedAttr := NestedAttr{
+		Version: "1.0.1",
+		AbName: "ab test name",
+		AbVariations: 5,
+		Example: "example content",
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a, expectedNestedAttr) {
+		t.Errorf("have %+v want %+v", a, expectedNestedAttr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedList(t *testing.T) {
+	type NestedList struct {
+		Example string `xml:"example"`
+		Members []int  `xml:"members>member"`
+	}
+	var a NestedList
+	err := Unmarshal([]byte(`
+		<output>
+			<example>example content</example>
+			<members>
+				<member>1</member>
+				<member>13</member>
+				<member>5</member>
+			</members>
+		</output>
+	`), &a)
+	expectedNestedList := NestedList{
+		Example: "example content",
+		Members: []int{1, 13, 5},
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a, expectedNestedList) {
+		t.Errorf("have %+v want %+v", a, expectedNestedList)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNestedAttrList(t *testing.T) {
+	type NestedAttrList struct {
+		Example string `xml:"example"`
+		Members []int  `xml:"members>member>id,attr"`
+	}
+	var a NestedAttrList
+	err := Unmarshal([]byte(`
+		<output>
+			<example>example content</example>
+			<members>
+				<member id="1"/>
+				<member id="13"/>
+				<member id="5"/>
+			</members>
+		</output>
+	`), &a)
+	expectedNestedAttrList := NestedAttrList{
+		Example: "example content",
+		Members: []int{1, 13, 5},
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a, expectedNestedAttrList) {
+		t.Errorf("have %+v want %+v", a, expectedNestedAttrList)
+	}
+}

They should have added your pull request into the core. As I see, they didn't review it yet.