fix: initialize md_text in _parse_rss_type to prevent UnboundLocalError

[Sai Medavarapu (smedavarapu1)]

Summary

_parse_rss_type only assigned md_text inside if channel_title:, so any RSS feed with no <title> in its <channel> caused an UnboundLocalError on the subsequent md_text += lines.

Fix

Initialize md_text = "" before the conditional block, and change the first assignment to += for consistency.

Reproduction

from markitdown.converters._rss_converter import RssConverter
import io
r = RssConverter()
xml = b'<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel></channel></rss>'
r.convert(io.BytesIO(xml), ...)  # UnboundLocalError

Tests

186 existing tests pass. The fix handles: empty channel, description-only channel, title-only channel, and title+description channel.

[Copilot]

🟡 Changes recommended

The fixed titleless-feed path lacks a regression test.

Once you've addressed the issues Copilot identified, you can request another Copilot review.

Pull request overview

Initializes RSS Markdown output before optional channel metadata, preventing UnboundLocalError for titleless feeds.

Changes:

• Initialize md_text unconditionally.
• Append optional channel titles consistently.

File summaries

File	Description
_rss_converter.py	Safely handles RSS channels without titles.

Review details

• Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
• Comments generated: 1
• Review effort level: Balanced

---

💡 Add a code-review agent skill or configure MCP servers for context-aware, tailored reviews. Learn more in the docs.