lib/less/tree/ruleset.js
function replaceParentSelector(paths, context, inSelector) {
        // The paths are [[Selector]]
        // The first list is a list of comma separated selectors
        // The inner list is a list of inheritance separated selectors
        // e.g.
        // .a, .b {
        //   .c {
        //   }
        // }
        // == [[.a] [.c]] [[.b] [.c]]
        //
        var i, j, k, currentElements, newSelectors, selectorsMultiplied, sel, el, hadParentSelector = false, length, lastSelector;
        function findNestedSelector(element) {
            var maybeSelector;
            if (!(element.value instanceof Paren)) {
                return null;
            }

            maybeSelector = element.value.value;
            if (!(maybeSelector instanceof Selector)) {
                return null;
            }

            return maybeSelector;
        }

        // the elements from the current selector so far
        currentElements = [];
        // the current list of new selectors to add to the path.
        // We will build it up. We initiate it with one empty selector as we "multiply" the new selectors
        // by the parents
        newSelectors = [
            []
        ];

        for (i = 0; (el = inSelector.elements[i]); i++) {
            // non parent reference elements just get added
            if (el.value !== '&') {
                var nestedSelector = findNestedSelector(el);
                if (nestedSelector != null) {
                    // merge the current list of non parent selector elements
                    // on to the current list of selectors to add
                    mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

                    var nestedPaths = [], replaced, replacedNewSelectors = [];
                    replaced = replaceParentSelector(nestedPaths, context, nestedSelector);
                    hadParentSelector = hadParentSelector || replaced;
                    // the nestedPaths array should have only one member - replaceParentSelector does not multiply selectors
                    for (k = 0; k < nestedPaths.length; k++) {
                        var replacementSelector = createSelector(createParenthesis(nestedPaths[k], el), el);
                        addAllReplacementsIntoPath(newSelectors, [replacementSelector], el, inSelector, replacedNewSelectors);
                    }
                    newSelectors = replacedNewSelectors;
                    currentElements = [];

                } else {
                    currentElements.push(el);
                }

            } else {
                hadParentSelector = true;
                // the new list of selectors to add
                selectorsMultiplied = [];

                // merge the current list of non parent selector elements
                // on to the current list of selectors to add
                mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

                // loop through our current selectors
                for (j = 0; j < newSelectors.length; j++) {
                    sel = newSelectors[j];
                    // if we don't have any parent paths, the & might be in a mixin so that it can be used
                    // whether there are parents or not
                    if (context.length === 0) {
                        // the combinator used on el should now be applied to the next element instead so that
                        // it is not lost
                        if (sel.length > 0) {
                            sel[0].elements.push(new Element(el.combinator, '', el.isVariable, el._index, el._fileInfo));
                        }
                        selectorsMultiplied.push(sel);
                    }
                    else {
                        // and the parent selectors
                        for (k = 0; k < context.length; k++) {
                            // We need to put the current selectors
                            // then join the last selector's elements on to the parents selectors
                            var newSelectorPath = addReplacementIntoPath(sel, context[k], el, inSelector);
                            // add that to our new set of selectors
                            selectorsMultiplied.push(newSelectorPath);
                        }
                    }
                }

                // our new selectors has been multiplied, so reset the state
                newSelectors = selectorsMultiplied;
                currentElements = [];
            }
        }

        // if we have any elements left over (e.g. .a& .b == .b)
        // add them on to all the current selectors
        mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

        for (i = 0; i < newSelectors.length; i++) {
            length = newSelectors[i].length;
            if (length > 0) {
                paths.push(newSelectors[i]);
                lastSelector = newSelectors[i][length - 1];
                newSelectors[i][length - 1] = lastSelector.createDerived(lastSelector.elements, inSelector.extendList);
            }
        }

        return hadParentSelector;
    }
function replaceParentSelector(paths, context, inSelector) {
        // The paths are [[Selector]]
        // The first list is a list of comma separated selectors
        // The inner list is a list of inheritance separated selectors
        // e.g.
        // .a, .b {
        //   .c {
        //   }
        // }
        // == [[.a] [.c]] [[.b] [.c]]
        //
        var i, j, k, currentElements, newSelectors, selectorsMultiplied, sel, el, hadParentSelector = false, length, lastSelector;
        function findNestedSelector(element) {
            var maybeSelector;
            if (!(element.value instanceof Paren)) {
                return null;
            }

            maybeSelector = element.value.value;
            if (!(maybeSelector instanceof Selector)) {
                return null;
            }

            return maybeSelector;
        }

        // the elements from the current selector so far
        currentElements = [];
        // the current list of new selectors to add to the path.
        // We will build it up. We initiate it with one empty selector as we "multiply" the new selectors
        // by the parents
        newSelectors = [
            []
        ];

        for (i = 0; (el = inSelector.elements[i]); i++) {
            // non parent reference elements just get added
            if (el.value !== '&') {
                var nestedSelector = findNestedSelector(el);
                if (nestedSelector != null) {
                    // merge the current list of non parent selector elements
                    // on to the current list of selectors to add
                    mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

                    var nestedPaths = [], replaced, replacedNewSelectors = [];
                    replaced = replaceParentSelector(nestedPaths, context, nestedSelector);
                    hadParentSelector = hadParentSelector || replaced;
                    // the nestedPaths array should have only one member - replaceParentSelector does not multiply selectors
                    for (k = 0; k < nestedPaths.length; k++) {
                        var replacementSelector = createSelector(createParenthesis(nestedPaths[k], el), el);
                        addAllReplacementsIntoPath(newSelectors, [replacementSelector], el, inSelector, replacedNewSelectors);
                    }
                    newSelectors = replacedNewSelectors;
                    currentElements = [];

                } else {
                    currentElements.push(el);
                }

            } else {
                hadParentSelector = true;
                // the new list of selectors to add
                selectorsMultiplied = [];

                // merge the current list of non parent selector elements
                // on to the current list of selectors to add
                mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

                // loop through our current selectors
                for (j = 0; j < newSelectors.length; j++) {
                    sel = newSelectors[j];
                    // if we don't have any parent paths, the & might be in a mixin so that it can be used
                    // whether there are parents or not
                    if (context.length === 0) {
                        // the combinator used on el should now be applied to the next element instead so that
                        // it is not lost
                        if (sel.length > 0) {
                            sel[0].elements.push(new Element(el.combinator, '', el.isVariable, el._index, el._fileInfo));
                        }
                        selectorsMultiplied.push(sel);
                    }
                    else {
                        // and the parent selectors
                        for (k = 0; k < context.length; k++) {
                            // We need to put the current selectors
                            // then join the last selector's elements on to the parents selectors
                            var newSelectorPath = addReplacementIntoPath(sel, context[k], el, inSelector);
                            // add that to our new set of selectors
                            selectorsMultiplied.push(newSelectorPath);
                        }
                    }
                }

                // our new selectors has been multiplied, so reset the state
                newSelectors = selectorsMultiplied;
                currentElements = [];
            }
        }

        // if we have any elements left over (e.g. .a& .b == .b)
        // add them on to all the current selectors
        mergeElementsOnToSelectors(currentElements, newSelectors);

        for (i = 0; i < newSelectors.length; i++) {
            length = newSelectors[i].length;
            if (length > 0) {
                paths.push(newSelectors[i]);
                lastSelector = newSelectors[i][length - 1];
                newSelectors[i][length - 1] = lastSelector.createDerived(lastSelector.elements, inSelector.extendList);
            }
        }

        return hadParentSelector;
    }
replace all parent selectors inside `inSelector` by content of `context` array resulting selectors are returned inside `paths` array returns true if `inSelector` contained at least one parent selector