webpack 5.108.4 → 5.109.1

package/lib/css/syntax.js

@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ const CC_AT_SIGN = "@".charCodeAt(0);
 
 const CC_LOW_LINE = "_".charCodeAt(0);
 const CC_LOWER_A = "a".charCodeAt(0);
+const CC_LOWER_D = "d".charCodeAt(0);
 const CC_LOWER_F = "f".charCodeAt(0);
 const CC_LOWER_E = "e".charCodeAt(0);
 const CC_LOWER_U = "u".charCodeAt(0);
@@ -341,11 +342,15 @@ const _isIdentStartCodePointCC = (cc) =>
 /**
  * Spec: ident-code = ident-start / digit / hyphen-minus.
  */
-// ASCII lookup built from the predicate so behaviour is identical; non-ASCII
-// (>= 128) keeps the inline check. `_consumeAnIdentSequence` hits this per code
-// point, and class/property names (hyphen + digit heavy) are the longest
-// comparison-chain path — a table load is constant-time instead.
-const _identCharTable = new Uint8Array(128);
+// Full `charCodeAt` range (0..0xFFFF) so the per-code-point ident test is one
+// table load with no `cc < 128` branch — `_consumeAnIdentSequence` runs this on
+// every character of every ident / class / property name (the tokenizer's
+// hottest loop). Every non-ASCII code unit (>= 0x80) is an ident code point per
+// spec, so those default to 1; only the ASCII rows carry real classification.
+// Callers must index with `cc | 0`: EOF (`charCodeAt` → NaN) becomes 0 (NUL,
+// not an ident) — a raw NaN index is an out-of-range access that permanently
+// degrades the load site's IC.
+const _identCharTable = new Uint8Array(0x10000).fill(1);
 for (let i = 0; i < 128; i++) {
 	_identCharTable[i] =
 		_isLetter(i) || i === CC_LOW_LINE || _isDigit(i) || i === CC_HYPHEN_MINUS
@@ -356,8 +361,7 @@ for (let i = 0; i < 128; i++) {
  * @param {number} cc char code
  * @returns {boolean} true, if cc is an ident-sequence code point
  */
-const _isIdentCodePoint = (cc) =>
-	cc < 128 ? _identCharTable[cc] === 1 : _isIdentStartCodePointCC(cc);
+const _isIdentCodePoint = (cc) => _identCharTable[cc | 0] === 1;
 
 /**
  * ASCII case-insensitive equality against a lowercase literal — avoids the
@@ -377,6 +381,58 @@ const equalsLowerCase = (s, lit) => {
 	return true;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Case-sensitive equality of a source range against a literal — no slice.
+ * @param {string} input source
+ * @param {number} start range start
+ * @param {number} end range end (exclusive)
+ * @param {string} lit literal to match
+ * @returns {boolean} true when the range equals `lit`
+ */
+const rangeEquals = (input, start, end, lit) =>
+	end - start === lit.length && input.startsWith(lit, start);
+
+/**
+ * ASCII case-insensitive equality of a source range against a lowercase ASCII literal — no slice.
+ * @param {string} input source
+ * @param {number} start range start
+ * @param {number} end range end (exclusive)
+ * @param {string} lit lowercase ASCII literal to match
+ * @returns {boolean} true when the range equals `lit` ignoring ASCII case
+ */
+const rangeEqualsLowerCase = (input, start, end, lit) => {
+	if (end - start !== lit.length) return false;
+	for (let i = 0; i < lit.length; i++) {
+		let c = input.charCodeAt(start + i);
+		if (c >= CC_UPPER_A && c <= CC_UPPER_Z) c |= 0x20;
+		if (c !== lit.charCodeAt(i)) return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+};
+
+/**
+ * `s.toLowerCase()` that returns `s` itself (no allocation) when it can't
+ * change — no ASCII uppercase and no non-ASCII (whose Unicode case mapping is
+ * left to the real `toLowerCase`).
+ * @param {string} s string
+ * @returns {string} lowercased string
+ */
+const toLowerCaseIfNeeded = (s) => {
+	for (let i = 0; i < s.length; i++) {
+		const c = s.charCodeAt(i);
+		if ((c >= CC_UPPER_A && c <= CC_UPPER_Z) || c > 127) return s.toLowerCase();
+	}
+	return s;
+};
+
+/**
+ * A custom property name (`<dashed-ident>`): a `--`-prefixed identifier other than bare `--`.
+ * @param {string} identifier identifier
+ * @returns {boolean} true when identifier is dashed, otherwise false
+ */
+const isDashedIdentifier = (identifier) =>
+	identifier.startsWith("--") && identifier.length >= 3;
+
 /**
  * Consume an escaped code point.
  * @param {string} input input
@@ -394,7 +450,8 @@ const _consumeAnEscapedCodePoint = (input, pos) => {
 	if (pos === input.length) return pos;
 	if (_isHexDigit(cc)) {
 		for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-			if (_isHexDigit(input.charCodeAt(pos))) pos++;
+			if (!_isHexDigit(input.charCodeAt(pos))) break;
+			pos++;
 		}
 		const trail = input.charCodeAt(pos);
 		if (_isWhiteSpace(trail)) {
@@ -480,12 +537,13 @@ const _ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartANumber = (input, pos, f, s, t) => {
 const _consumeAnIdentSequence = (input, pos) => {
 	// Hot loop (every ident, at-keyword, hash, function name, unit). Both checks
 	// are inlined from `_isIdentCodePoint` / `_ifTwoCodePointsAreValidEscape`: the
-	// ASCII ident test is a single table load, and the escape test reads the
-	// following code point only when `cc` is a `\` (rare) instead of eagerly.
+	// ident test is a single full-range table load (no `cc < 128` branch), and the
+	// escape test reads the following code point only when `cc` is a `\` (rare)
+	// instead of eagerly.
 	for (;;) {
-		const cc = input.charCodeAt(pos);
+		const cc = input.charCodeAt(pos) | 0;
 		pos++;
-		if (cc < 128 ? _identCharTable[cc] === 1 : _isIdentStartCodePointCC(cc)) {
+		if (_identCharTable[cc] === 1) {
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (cc === CC_REVERSE_SOLIDUS && !_isNewline(input.charCodeAt(pos))) {
@@ -625,6 +683,15 @@ function consumeSpace(input, pos, out) {
 	return fill(out, TT_WHITESPACE, start, pos);
 }
 
+// Sticky fast-forward classes: a native run-skip over the ordinary characters of
+// a string / url token, so long values (data: URIs, base64) don't cost one JS
+// char read each. The negated classes match exactly the per-char terminators the
+// loops below handle (quotes / backslash / newlines for strings; plus `(`, `)`,
+// whitespace and non-printable code points for urls).
+const _STRING_SAFE = /[^"'\\\n\r\f]+/y;
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex -- url terminators include the control range and DEL (they make a bad-url)
+const _URL_SAFE = /[^\u0000-\u0020\u007F"'()\\]+/y;
+
 /**
  * Consume a string token. Caller advanced past the opening quote so
  * `pos - 1` holds the ending code point and `pos - 1` is the start.
@@ -637,6 +704,8 @@ function consumeAStringToken(input, pos, out) {
 	const start = pos - 1;
 	const endingCodePoint = input.charCodeAt(pos - 1);
 	for (;;) {
+		_STRING_SAFE.lastIndex = pos;
+		if (_STRING_SAFE.test(input)) pos = _STRING_SAFE.lastIndex;
 		if (pos === input.length) {
 			return fill(out, TT_STRING, start, pos);
 		}
@@ -700,17 +769,33 @@ function consumeNumberSign(input, pos, out) {
  * @returns {MutableToken | undefined} the resulting token, or undefined at EOF
  */
 function consumeHyphenMinus(input, pos, out) {
-	if (_ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartANumber(input, pos)) {
+	// Read the two lookahead code points once; the lead is the known `-`.
+	const second = input.charCodeAt(pos);
+	const third = input.charCodeAt(pos + 1);
+	if (
+		_ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartANumber(
+			input,
+			pos,
+			CC_HYPHEN_MINUS,
+			second,
+			third
+		)
+	) {
 		pos--;
 		return consumeANumericToken(input, pos, out);
 	}
-	if (
-		input.charCodeAt(pos) === CC_HYPHEN_MINUS &&
-		input.charCodeAt(pos + 1) === CC_GREATER_THAN_SIGN
-	) {
+	if (second === CC_HYPHEN_MINUS && third === CC_GREATER_THAN_SIGN) {
 		return fill(out, TT_CDC, pos - 1, pos + 2);
 	}
-	if (_ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartAnIdentSequence(input, pos)) {
+	if (
+		_ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartAnIdentSequence(
+			input,
+			pos,
+			CC_HYPHEN_MINUS,
+			second,
+			third
+		)
+	) {
 		pos--;
 		return consumeAnIdentLikeToken(input, pos, out);
 	}
@@ -800,8 +885,10 @@ function consumeAUrlToken(input, pos, fnStart, out) {
 	const contentStart = pos;
 	out.contentStart = contentStart;
 	for (;;) {
+		_URL_SAFE.lastIndex = pos;
+		if (_URL_SAFE.test(input)) pos = _URL_SAFE.lastIndex;
 		if (pos === input.length) {
-			out.contentEnd = pos - 1;
+			out.contentEnd = pos;
 			return fill(out, TT_URL, fnStart, pos);
 		}
 		const cc = input.charCodeAt(pos);
@@ -999,7 +1086,11 @@ const HC_AT_SIGN = 9;
 const HC_REVERSE_SOLIDUS = 10;
 const HC_DIGIT = 11;
 const HC_IDENT = 12;
-const _charClass = new Uint8Array(128);
+// Full `charCodeAt` range so `consumeAToken` dispatches with one table load and
+// no `cc < 128` branch. Every non-ASCII code point (>= 0x80) is an ident-start
+// lead per §4, so those rows are seeded to `HC_IDENT`; the ASCII rows below
+// overwrite 0..127 with their real class.
+const _charClass = new Uint8Array(0x10000).fill(HC_IDENT, 128);
 const _singleTT = new Uint8Array(128);
 _singleTT[CC_LEFT_PARENTHESIS] = TT_LEFT_PARENTHESIS;
 _singleTT[CC_RIGHT_PARENTHESIS] = TT_RIGHT_PARENTHESIS;
@@ -1054,7 +1145,7 @@ for (let i = 0; i < 128; i++) {
 function consumeAToken(input, pos, cc, out) {
 	// `u` / `U` would start a unicode-range token in the spec; those are not
 	// produced, so they map to HC_IDENT and fall through to ident-like.
-	switch (cc < 128 ? _charClass[cc] : HC_IDENT) {
+	switch (_charClass[cc]) {
 		// Run of whitespace → one <whitespace-token>.
 		case HC_WHITESPACE:
 			return consumeSpace(input, pos, out);
@@ -1211,78 +1302,23 @@ const {
 } = NodeType;
 
 /**
- * Base AST node. All concrete nodes (tokens, simple blocks, functions,
- * declarations) inherit from this and carry the `[start, end)` byte `range`
- * of the source slice they cover. `loc` is computed on demand from a
- * shared `LocConverter` so we don't pay for line/column conversion until
- * a consumer (warning, error, dependency) actually needs it.
+ * Base AST node — the property-accessor view the `parseA*` entry points return
+ * (see `_makeReader`). Every concrete node carries the `[start, end)` byte
+ * `range` of the source slice it covers; `loc` is computed on demand from the
+ * shared `LocConverter`, so line/column conversion is only paid when a consumer
+ * needs it. The concrete node typedefs below extend this via `&`.
+ *
+ * Inside the parser a node ref is an integer id into the columns; the reader
+ * exposes this property shape over a retained snapshot of those columns.
+ * @typedef {object} Node
+ * @property {number} type node-type discriminator
+ * @property {number} start byte offset of the node's first code point
+ * @property {number} end byte offset just past the node's last code point
+ * @property {[number, number]} range the `[start, end)` byte range
+ * @property {{ start: { line: number, column: number }, end: { line: number, column: number } }} loc source location (1-based line, 0-based column)
+ * @property {() => string} toString source slice for this node
+ * @property {string} unescapedName name with CSS escapes resolved (name-bearing nodes only)
  */
-class Node {
-	/**
-	 * @param {number} type node type discriminator
-	 * @param {number} start byte offset of the node's first code point
-	 * @param {number} end byte offset just past the node's last code point
-	 * @param {LocConverter} locConverter shared loc converter
-	 */
-	constructor(type, start, end, locConverter) {
-		/** @type {number} */
-		this.type = type;
-		// Byte range as two inline fields rather than a `[start, end]` array —
-		// one fewer allocation per node and ~56 bytes lighter (×100k+ nodes).
-		/** @type {number} */
-		this.start = start;
-		/** @type {number} */
-		this.end = end;
-		/** @type {LocConverter} */
-		this._locConverter = locConverter;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * The `[start, end)` byte range as a tuple — compatibility view over
-	 * `start` / `end` (builds the array lazily; hot code reads the
-	 * fields directly).
-	 * @returns {[number, number]} the byte range
-	 */
-	get range() {
-		return [this.start, this.end];
-	}
-
-	get loc() {
-		const lc = this._locConverter;
-		// `LocConverter#get` mutates and returns the converter itself, so we
-		// must snapshot `line`/`column` between the two calls.
-		const s = lc.get(this.start);
-		const sl = s.line;
-		const sc = s.column;
-		const e = lc.get(this.end);
-		return {
-			start: { line: sl, column: sc },
-			end: { line: e.line, column: e.column }
-		};
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Serialize back to source — re-slices the original input (zero-alloc for
-	 * untouched nodes).
-	 * @returns {string} the source slice for this node
-	 */
-	toString() {
-		return this._locConverter._input.slice(this.start, this.end);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * For name-bearing nodes (function / at-rule): the `name` with CSS escapes
-	 * resolved, for case-insensitive keyword matching (`\75 rl` → `url`). Computed
-	 * on read via `unescapeIdentifier`'s no-escape fast path. Callers without a
-	 * `name` must not read this.
-	 * @returns {string} the unescaped name
-	 */
-	get unescapedName() {
-		return unescapeIdentifier(
-			/** @type {{ name: string }} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (this)).name
-		);
-	}
-}
 
 /**
  * @param {string} s numeric text
@@ -1301,175 +1337,15 @@ const _typeFlagOf = (s) =>
 	s.includes(".") || s.includes("e") || s.includes("E") ? "number" : "integer";
 
 /**
- * Leaf token node — the only `Node` subclass. `value` is the raw source slice
+ * Leaf token node (property-accessor view) — `value` is the raw source slice
  * (identifier text, quoted string including quotes, a dimension's full `123px`,
- * …). Token-specific extras are named by the `HashToken` / `UrlToken` /
- * `NumberToken` / `DimensionToken` shape typedefs below.
- *
- * The numeric accessors (`numericValue` / `typeFlag` / `sign` / `unit`) are
- * getters, not stored fields: a number / dimension / percentage token costs
- * nothing beyond the base node unless a consumer reads them, and every leaf
- * token keeps a single object shape so the walker's `node.type` dispatch stays
- * monomorphic. They are only meaningful on the matching token type.
+ * …; hash / at-keyword drop their `#` / `@` prefix, url uses its content range).
+ * The `NumberToken` / `HashToken` / `UrlToken` / `DimensionToken` typedefs below
+ * narrow the value accessors. `numericValue` / `typeFlag` / `sign` / `unit` are
+ * derived from the source on read and are only meaningful on the matching token
+ * type; `contentStart` / `contentEnd` mark a url token's inner content range.
+ * @typedef {Node & { value: string, unescaped: string, numericValue: number, typeFlag: "integer" | "number" | "id" | "unrestricted", sign: "+" | "-" | "", unit: string, contentStart: number, contentEnd: number }} Token
  */
-class Token extends Node {
-	/**
-	 * @param {number} type node type
-	 * @param {number} start byte offset of the token's first code point
-	 * @param {number} end byte offset just past the token's last code point
-	 * @param {LocConverter} locConverter shared loc converter
-	 */
-	// No own fields: a leaf token is exactly a `Node` plus the value getters
-	// below. `value` is derived from the byte range on read instead of cached in
-	// a `_value` slot — most tokens (whitespace, punctuation) never read it, and
-	// dropping the slot is ~8 bytes saved on every token (the bulk of all nodes).
-	// hash / at-keyword strip their `#` / `@` prefix; url uses its content range
-	// (`contentStart` / `contentEnd`, the token's only own fields).
-
-	/**
-	 * @returns {string} the token's value (raw source slice unless overridden)
-	 */
-	get value() {
-		const input = this._locConverter._input;
-		const type = this.type;
-		// hash (`#name` → `name`) and at-keyword (`@name` → `name`) drop one char.
-		if (type === T_HASH || type === T_AT_KEYWORD) {
-			return input.slice(this.start + 1, this.end);
-		}
-		if (type === T_URL) {
-			const u = /** @type {UrlToken} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (this));
-			return input.slice(u.contentStart, u.contentEnd);
-		}
-		return input.slice(this.start, this.end);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * The token's value with CSS escapes resolved (`\2d` → `-`, `\75 rl` → `url`),
-	 * per https://www.w3.org/TR/css-syntax-3/#consume-escaped-code-point — the
-	 * form to match keywords / export as a CSS-Modules name against. For a string
-	 * token it is the content between the quotes (the spec string value). Computed
-	 * on read; `unescapeIdentifier` fast-returns the value unchanged when it has no
-	 * escapes (the common case), so nothing is stored per token.
-	 * @returns {string} the unescaped value
-	 */
-	get unescaped() {
-		const v = this.value;
-		// A string token's `value` carries its delimiting quotes; its value is the content between them.
-		return this.type === T_STRING
-			? unescapeIdentifier(v.slice(1, -1))
-			: unescapeIdentifier(v);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Parsed numeric value (number / percentage / dimension tokens). Derived from
-	 * `value` on access — the `%` is dropped for percentages and the unit for
-	 * dimensions (split with `_consumeANumber`, recomputed here so nothing is
-	 * stored per token).
-	 * @returns {number} the parsed numeric value
-	 */
-	get numericValue() {
-		const v = this.value;
-		if (this.type === T_DIMENSION) {
-			return Number(v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)));
-		}
-		if (this.type === T_PERCENTAGE) return Number(v.slice(0, -1));
-		return Number(v);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Spec type flag. For number / dimension tokens it's "integer" / "number"
-	 * (derived from `value`); for hash tokens it's "id" / "unrestricted" (re-derived
-	 * from the source). The two senses share the name in the spec; both are computed
-	 * on read so every leaf token keeps the same object shape (no own `typeFlag`).
-	 * @returns {"integer" | "number" | "id" | "unrestricted"} the spec type flag
-	 */
-	get typeFlag() {
-		if (this.type === T_HASH) {
-			// Re-derive id-ness from the source (whether the name after `#` starts an
-			// ident sequence) rather than storing an `_isId` slot — keeps hash tokens
-			// the same shape as every other leaf token. Matches the lexer's
-			// `consumeNumberSign`, which sets `isId` from the same check.
-			const input = this._locConverter._input;
-			const p = this.start + 1;
-			return _ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartAnIdentSequence(
-				input,
-				p,
-				input.charCodeAt(p),
-				input.charCodeAt(p + 1),
-				input.charCodeAt(p + 2)
-			)
-				? "id"
-				: "unrestricted";
-		}
-		const v = this.value;
-		return _typeFlagOf(
-			this.type === T_DIMENSION ? v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)) : v
-		);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @returns {"+" | "-" | ""} the spec sign (number / percentage / dimension tokens)
-	 */
-	get sign() {
-		return _signOf(this.value);
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @returns {string} the unit, lower-cased per spec (dimension tokens)
-	 */
-	get unit() {
-		const v = this.value;
-		return v.slice(_consumeANumber(v, 0)).toLowerCase();
-	}
-}
-
-/**
- * The non-leaf `Node` subclass: functions, simple blocks, declarations, at-rules
- * and qualified rules. It declares the union of every container field up front so
- * all five share **one** hidden class — the consume algorithms only overwrite the
- * slots relevant to their type, never adding a property, so the shape never
- * transitions. This caps the shape count: the walker's hot `.type` / `.value` /
- * `.prelude` loads otherwise see eight distinct node maps (five container types
- * plus the token / hash / url token maps), tipping V8's inline cache into the
- * slow megamorphic path; folding the five containers into one leaves four maps
- * (token, hash, url, container) — within the polymorphic limit, so those loads
- * stay inline-cached. Unused-for-the-type slots keep their defaults (the field
- * typedefs below document which fields each type uses). The stylesheet node is
- * rare (one per parse) and stays a bare `Node`.
- */
-class Container extends Node {
-	/**
-	 * @param {number} type node type
-	 * @param {number} start byte offset of the node's first code point
-	 * @param {number} end byte offset just past the node's last code point
-	 * @param {LocConverter} locConverter shared loc converter
-	 */
-	constructor(type, start, end, locConverter) {
-		super(type, start, end, locConverter);
-		/** @type {string} name (function / at-rule / declaration) */
-		this.name = "";
-		/** @type {number} */
-		this.nameStart = start;
-		/** @type {number} */
-		this.nameEnd = start;
-		/** @type {ComponentValue[] | null} component values (function / block / declaration) */
-		this.value = null;
-		/** @type {ComponentValue[] | null} prelude (at-rule / qualified rule) */
-		this.prelude = null;
-		/** @type {Declaration[] | null} */
-		this.declarations = null;
-		/** @type {Rule[] | null} */
-		this.childRules = null;
-		/** @type {number} `{` start offset, or -1 (at-rule / qualified rule) */
-		this.blockStart = -1;
-		/** @type {number} `}` end offset, or -1 (at-rule / qualified rule) */
-		this.blockEnd = -1;
-		/** @type {boolean} stripped `!important` (declaration) */
-		this.important = false;
-		/** @type {SimpleBlockToken | undefined} opening char (simple block) */
-		this.token = undefined;
-	}
-}
 
 /**
  * Number token (`123`, `-1.5`, `+2e3`). `value` is the raw source slice (the spec's "value"); `numericValue` / `typeFlag` / `sign` are lazy getters derived from it (see `Token`).
@@ -1568,10 +1444,10 @@ class Container extends Node {
  * @typedef {Node & { rules: Rule[] }} Stylesheet
  */
 
-// Lexer-token-type → AST-node-type map. A single \`new Token\` construct site
-// (vs a ~20-case switch with a \`new Token\` in each arm) keeps V8 on the fast
-// monomorphic allocation path — the switch form showed up as generic construct
-// stubs in profiles. URL is the one type with extra own state, handled first.
+// Lexer-token-type → AST-node-type map. A single `_makeLeaf` call site (vs a
+// ~20-case switch with an alloc in each arm) keeps V8 on the fast monomorphic
+// path — the switch form showed up as generic stubs in profiles. URL is the one
+// type with extra own state, handled first.
 const _ttToNodeType = new Uint8Array(27);
 _ttToNodeType[TT_WHITESPACE] = T_WHITESPACE;
 _ttToNodeType[TT_IDENTIFIER] = T_IDENT;
@@ -1593,19 +1469,14 @@ _ttToNodeType[TT_RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET] = T_RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET;
 _ttToNodeType[TT_CDO] = T_CDO;
 _ttToNodeType[TT_CDC] = T_CDC;
 
-// === AST construction backend ===
-// The consume algorithms build nodes through these module-level primitives
-// rather than `new Token` / `new Container` directly, so the node
-// representation can be swapped under the parser. The object backend below
-// builds the retainable `Node` / `Token` / `Container` tree the `parseA*`
-// entry points return; the Struct-of-Arrays backend (added separately) writes
-// the same nodes into reused typed arrays for the streaming `grammar`, where
-// per-node allocation dominates cost. Child lists are plain arrays in both
-// backends (a node ref is an object or an integer index); only node creation /
-// field access differs, so only those ops are swapped.
-
-// Current loc converter for the active parse (object backend reads it).
-let _lc = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
+// === AST construction ===
+// Nodes live in one struct-of-arrays node store: a node ref is an integer id
+// into parallel typed-array columns, so per-node allocation is avoided entirely.
+// The consume algorithms build nodes through the `_make*` / `_set*` primitives
+// below, which write those columns directly. The streaming `grammar` walks each
+// top-level node and recycles the columns; the `parseA*` entry points instead
+// retain the columns as a snapshot and hand back property-accessor nodes over it
+// (see `_makeReader`). Child lists are plain arrays of node ids in both modes.
 
 // Active skip state (from `CssProcessOptions.skip`), applied by the grammar.
 // `_skipTypes` is indexed by `NodeType` (1 = skip): drop that component-value
@@ -1614,8 +1485,15 @@ let _lc = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
 // / functions kept, so `url()` in a selector or `@import url(…)` still resolves).
 // A skipped node is still tokenized (positions stay correct) but never pushed,
 // so it is never walked or read — the caller must only skip what nothing reads.
-// `useObjectBackend` restores the defaults so `parseA*` build the full tree.
+// `parseA*` leave these at their no-skip defaults so they build the full tree.
 const _NO_SKIP_TYPES = new Uint8Array(32);
+// Shared frozen empty list for block bodies with no decls / no child rules (the
+// common case — most rules carry only declarations). Every consumer reads these
+// lists read-only and null-guards, so one immutable instance replaces ~one empty
+// array allocation per rule; frozen so any errant push fails loud.
+const _EMPTY_LIST = /** @type {Rule[]} */ (
+	/** @type {unknown} */ (Object.freeze([]))
+);
 /** @type {Uint8Array} */
 let _skipTypes = _NO_SKIP_TYPES;
 // Fast-path flag: true only when a real skip set is active, so the (dominant)
@@ -1624,278 +1502,255 @@ let _skipActive = false;
 let _skipSelectorPrelude = false;
 let _skipAtRulePrelude = false;
 
-/** @type {(type: number, start: number, end: number) => Node} */
-let _mkLeaf;
-/** @type {(start: number, end: number, contentStart: number, contentEnd: number) => Node} */
-let _mkUrl;
-/** @type {(type: number, start: number, end: number) => Node} */
-let _mkContainer;
-/** @type {(start: number) => Node} */
-let _mkStylesheet;
-/** @type {(r: Node, v: string, nameStart: number, nameEnd: number) => void} */
-let _setName;
-/** @type {(r: Node, v: number) => void} */
-let _setEnd;
-/** @type {(r: Node, blockStart: number, blockEnd: number) => void} */
-let _setBlock;
-/** @type {(r: Node) => void} */
-let _setImportant;
-/** @type {(r: Node, ch: SimpleBlockToken) => void} */
-let _setToken;
-/** @type {(r: Node, list: Node[]) => void} */
-let _setValue;
-/** @type {(r: Node, list: Node[]) => void} */
-let _setPrelude;
-/** @type {(r: Node, decls: Node[], childRules: Node[]) => void} */
-let _setBody;
-/** @type {(r: Node, list: Node[]) => void} */
-let _setRules;
-/** @type {(r: Node) => number} */
-let _nType;
-/** @type {(r: Node) => number} */
-let _nStart;
-/** @type {(r: Node) => string} */
-let _nValue;
-/** @type {(r: Node) => SimpleBlockToken} */
-let _nToken;
-
-// Child lists are plain arrays in every backend; refs are pushed by value.
-const _list = () => /** @type {Node[]} */ ([]);
-
-// -- object backend: builds the retainable class-instance tree --
-/** @type {typeof _mkLeaf} */
-const _objLeaf = (type, start, end) => new Token(type, start, end, _lc);
-/** @type {typeof _mkUrl} */
-const _objUrl = (start, end, cs, ce) => {
-	const u = /** @type {UrlToken} */ (new Token(T_URL, start, end, _lc));
-	u.contentStart = cs;
-	u.contentEnd = ce;
-	return u;
-};
-/** @type {typeof _mkContainer} */
-const _objContainer = (type, start, end) =>
-	new Container(type, start, end, _lc);
-/** @type {typeof _mkStylesheet} */
-const _objStylesheet = (start) => {
-	const s = /** @type {Stylesheet} */ (
-		new Node(T_STYLESHEET, start, start, _lc)
-	);
-	s.rules = [];
-	return s;
-};
-/** @param {LocConverter} lc loc converter for this parse */
-const useObjectBackend = (lc) => {
-	_lc = lc;
-	// `parseA*` return the full tree, so nothing is skipped.
-	_skipTypes = _NO_SKIP_TYPES;
-	_skipActive = false;
-	_skipSelectorPrelude = false;
-	_skipAtRulePrelude = false;
-	_mkLeaf = _objLeaf;
-	_mkUrl = _objUrl;
-	_mkContainer = _objContainer;
-	_mkStylesheet = _objStylesheet;
-	_setName = (r, v, ns, ne) => {
-		const c = /** @type {Container} */ (r);
-		c.name = v;
-		c.nameStart = ns;
-		c.nameEnd = ne;
-	};
-	_setEnd = (r, v) => {
-		r.end = v;
-	};
-	_setBlock = (r, bs, be) => {
-		const c = /** @type {Container} */ (r);
-		c.blockStart = bs;
-		c.blockEnd = be;
-	};
-	_setImportant = (r) => {
-		/** @type {Container} */ (r).important = true;
-	};
-	_setToken = (r, ch) => {
-		/** @type {Container} */ (r).token = ch;
-	};
-	_setValue = (r, list) => {
-		/** @type {Container} */ (r).value = /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (list);
-	};
-	_setPrelude = (r, list) => {
-		/** @type {Container} */ (r).prelude = /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (
-			list
-		);
-	};
-	_setBody = (r, decls, childRules) => {
-		const c = /** @type {Container} */ (r);
-		c.declarations = /** @type {Declaration[]} */ (decls);
-		c.childRules = /** @type {Rule[]} */ (childRules);
-	};
-	_setRules = (r, list) => {
-		/** @type {Stylesheet} */ (r).rules = /** @type {Rule[]} */ (list);
-	};
-	_nType = (r) => r.type;
-	_nStart = (r) => r.start;
-	_nValue = (r) => /** @type {Token} */ (r).value;
-	_nToken = (r) =>
-		/** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (/** @type {Container} */ (r).token);
-};
-
-// -- struct-of-arrays backend: writes nodes into reused typed arrays --
+// Scratch content-list pool: a container's value / prelude is built in a plain
+// array, then sealed into the flat value buffer by `_setValue`, which returns
+// the array to the pool — so a parse allocates almost no per-list arrays. An
+// abandoned (never-sealed) list simply falls out of the pool.
+/** @type {Node[][]} */
+const _listPool = [];
+const _takeList = () =>
+	_listPool.length > 0
+		? /** @type {Node[]} */ (_listPool.pop())
+		: /** @type {Node[]} */ ([]);
+
+// -- struct-of-arrays store: nodes live in reused typed-array columns --
 // A node ref is its integer id; fields live in parallel arrays indexed by id.
-// Three reused int slots (`_soaA0/1/2`) plus a flags byte carry the per-type
-// extras; child lists hang off three object arrays. Slot meaning by type:
-//   url:         a0 contentStart, a1 contentEnd
-//   function:    a0 nameEnd
-//   declaration: a0 nameEnd, flags bit0 important
-//   at-rule:     a0 nameEnd, a1 blockStart, a2 blockEnd
-//   qualified:   a1 blockStart, a2 blockEnd
+// Two reused int slots (`_aux0/1`) plus a flags byte carry the per-type
+// extras; child lists hang off three object arrays. Aux slot meaning by type:
+//   url:         aux0 contentStart, aux1 contentEnd
+//   function:    aux0 nameEnd
+//   declaration: aux0 nameEnd, flags bit0 important
+//   at-rule:     aux0 nameEnd, aux1 blockStart (blockEnd == end)
+//   qualified:   aux1 blockStart (blockEnd == end)
 // `name` / `nameStart` / a simple block's `token` are derived from the source
-// on read (see the SoA accessors), so they need no slot. Lists: l0 =
-// value | prelude | stylesheet rules, l1 = declarations, l2 = childRules.
-// `grammar` resets `_soaN` to 0 after each top-level rule's walk, so the
+// on read (see the accessors), so they need no slot. A node's main content
+// (value | prelude | stylesheet rules) is a `_flat` span (see below).
+// `grammar` resets `_nodeCount` to 0 after each top-level rule's walk, so the
 // buffers are reused across rules and the parse allocates almost nothing.
-let _soaCap = 0;
-let _soaN = 0;
-let _soaTy = new Uint8Array(0);
-let _soaSt = new Int32Array(0);
-let _soaEn = new Int32Array(0);
-let _soaA0 = new Int32Array(0);
-let _soaA1 = new Int32Array(0);
-let _soaA2 = new Int32Array(0);
-let _soaFl = new Uint8Array(0);
-/** @type {(Node[] | null)[]} */
-const _soaL0 = [];
+let _capacity = 0;
+let _nodeCount = 0;
+let _types = new Uint8Array(0);
+let _starts = new Int32Array(0);
+let _ends = new Int32Array(0);
+let _aux0 = new Int32Array(0);
+let _aux1 = new Int32Array(0);
+let _flags = new Uint8Array(0);
+// Content-list spans: a container's value / prelude is `_flat[start, start+len)`
+// (node refs), recycled per top-level rule like the node columns.
+let _listStarts = new Int32Array(0);
+let _listLens = new Int32Array(0);
+let _flat = new Int32Array(0);
+let _flatTop = 0;
+// Peak usage of the current parse, and use-once regrow hints: after an
+// over-capacity shrink the next grow jumps straight back to the previous
+// parse's peak (one exact-fit allocation instead of re-doubling up).
+let _peak = 0;
+let _flatPeak = 0;
+let _growHint = 0;
+let _flatGrowHint = 0;
+
+/** @param {number} need minimum flat-buffer capacity */
+const _flatGrow = (need) => {
+	let cap = _flat.length || 4096;
+	if (_flatGrowHint > cap) cap = _flatGrowHint;
+	_flatGrowHint = 0;
+	while (cap < need) cap *= 2;
+	const next = new Int32Array(cap);
+	next.set(_flat);
+	_flat = next;
+};
+// Reassigned (not mutated) when a `parseA*` parse hands its columns to a
+// retained snapshot, so the next parse starts on fresh arrays.
 /** @type {(Node[] | null)[]} */
-const _soaL1 = [];
+let _declarationLists = [];
 /** @type {(Node[] | null)[]} */
-const _soaL2 = [];
-let _soaInput = "";
-let _soaLC = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
+let _childRuleLists = [];
+let _input = "";
+let _locConverter = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
 
 // Node refs are integers here but typed `Node` across the parser; these are
 // identity casts that just satisfy the type system at the boundary.
 /** @type {(n: Node) => number} */
-const _ix = (n) => /** @type {number} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (n));
+const _nodeIndex = (n) => /** @type {number} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (n));
 /** @type {(i: number) => Node} */
-const _ref = (i) => /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (i));
+const _nodeRef = (i) => /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (i));
 
 /** @param {number} need minimum capacity */
-const _soaGrow = (need) => {
-	let cap = _soaCap || 4096;
+const _grow = (need) => {
+	let cap = _capacity || 4096;
+	if (_growHint > cap) cap = _growHint;
+	_growHint = 0;
 	while (cap < need) cap *= 2;
 	const ty = new Uint8Array(cap);
-	ty.set(_soaTy);
-	_soaTy = ty;
+	ty.set(_types);
+	_types = ty;
 	const st = new Int32Array(cap);
-	st.set(_soaSt);
-	_soaSt = st;
+	st.set(_starts);
+	_starts = st;
 	const en = new Int32Array(cap);
-	en.set(_soaEn);
-	_soaEn = en;
+	en.set(_ends);
+	_ends = en;
 	const a0 = new Int32Array(cap);
-	a0.set(_soaA0);
-	_soaA0 = a0;
+	a0.set(_aux0);
+	_aux0 = a0;
 	const a1 = new Int32Array(cap);
-	a1.set(_soaA1);
-	_soaA1 = a1;
-	const a2 = new Int32Array(cap);
-	a2.set(_soaA2);
-	_soaA2 = a2;
+	a1.set(_aux1);
+	_aux1 = a1;
 	const fl = new Uint8Array(cap);
-	fl.set(_soaFl);
-	_soaFl = fl;
-	_soaCap = cap;
+	fl.set(_flags);
+	_flags = fl;
+	const ls = new Int32Array(cap);
+	ls.set(_listStarts);
+	_listStarts = ls;
+	const ll = new Int32Array(cap);
+	ll.set(_listLens);
+	_listLens = ll;
+	_capacity = cap;
 };
 /** @type {(type: number, start: number, end: number) => Node} */
-const _soaAlloc = (type, start, end) => {
+const _makeLeaf = (type, start, end) => {
 	// Ids are 1-based: a node ref is used in truthiness checks (`if (!parent)`),
 	// so 0 must stay reserved for "no node".
-	// Leaves never read the flag / list slots — `_soaAllocContainer` clears
+	// Leaves never read the flag / list slots — `_makeContainer` clears
 	// them instead, keeping the dominant leaf allocation at three writes.
-	const i = _soaN + 1;
-	if (i >= _soaCap) _soaGrow(i + 1);
-	_soaTy[i] = type;
-	_soaSt[i] = start;
-	_soaEn[i] = end;
-	_soaN = i;
-	return _ref(i);
+	const i = _nodeCount + 1;
+	if (i >= _capacity) _grow(i + 1);
+	_types[i] = type;
+	_starts[i] = start;
+	_ends[i] = end;
+	_nodeCount = i;
+	return _nodeRef(i);
 };
 /** @type {(type: number, start: number, end: number) => Node} */
-const _soaAllocContainer = (type, start, end) => {
-	const r = _soaAlloc(type, start, end);
-	const i = _ix(r);
-	_soaFl[i] = 0;
-	// Clear list slots so a reused id never exposes a previous node's children.
-	_soaL0[i] = null;
-	_soaL1[i] = null;
-	_soaL2[i] = null;
+const _makeContainer = (type, start, end) => {
+	const r = _makeLeaf(type, start, end);
+	const i = _nodeIndex(r);
+	_flags[i] = 0;
+	// Clear the content-span length so a reused id never exposes a previous
+	// node's children (content lists are flat spans, so zeroing the length
+	// suffices). `blockStart` (aux1) is NOT defaulted here: only at-rules and
+	// qualified rules carry a block, and they set it on every return path
+	// (`_setBlock`, or `-1` for the no-block forms). `blockEnd` is not stored — a
+	// block rule's `end` is its `blockEnd` (see `_setBlock`), else it is `-1`.
+	_listLens[i] = 0;
+	// The decl / child-rule slots are read only for rules (the walk guards on
+	// type; readers treat a missing slot as `null`), so only rules clear them —
+	// clearing every container would write these `id`-indexed arrays at scattered
+	// ids and degrade them to slow dictionary mode on large non-recycling parses.
+	if (type === T_AT_RULE || type === T_QUALIFIED_RULE) {
+		_declarationLists[i] = null;
+		_childRuleLists[i] = null;
+	}
 	return r;
 };
 // Raw token value (the lazy `Token.value` form): hash / at-keyword drop their
 // one-char prefix, url uses its content range. Shared by the parser's
-// mid-parse reads and the SoA accessor.
+// mid-parse reads and the accessor.
 /**
  * @param {number} i node id
  * @returns {string} raw token value
  */
-const _soaValueOf = (i) => {
-	const ty = _soaTy[i];
+const _valueOf = (i) => {
+	const ty = _types[i];
 	if (ty === T_HASH || ty === T_AT_KEYWORD) {
-		return _soaInput.slice(_soaSt[i] + 1, _soaEn[i]);
+		return _input.slice(_starts[i] + 1, _ends[i]);
 	}
-	if (ty === T_URL) return _soaInput.slice(_soaA0[i], _soaA1[i]);
-	return _soaInput.slice(_soaSt[i], _soaEn[i]);
+	if (ty === T_URL) return _input.slice(_aux0[i], _aux1[i]);
+	return _input.slice(_starts[i], _ends[i]);
+};
+// Module-level constants (not per-parse closures), so each consume-algorithm
+// call site keeps one function identity and stays monomorphic.
+/** @type {(start: number, end: number, contentStart: number, contentEnd: number) => Node} */
+const _makeUrl = (start, end, cs, ce) => {
+	const r = _makeLeaf(T_URL, start, end);
+	_aux0[_nodeIndex(r)] = cs;
+	_aux1[_nodeIndex(r)] = ce;
+	return r;
+};
+/** @type {(start: number) => Node} */
+const _makeStylesheet = (start) => _makeContainer(T_STYLESHEET, start, start);
+// name / nameStart are derived from start + nameEnd; only nameEnd is stored.
+/** @type {(r: Node, nameStart: number, nameEnd: number) => void} */
+const _setName = (r, ns, ne) => {
+	_aux0[_nodeIndex(r)] = ne;
+};
+/** @type {(r: Node, v: number) => void} */
+const _setEnd = (r, v) => {
+	_ends[_nodeIndex(r)] = v;
+};
+// `blockEnd` is not stored: for a block rule the parser sets `end` to the
+// block end right after this (so `A.blockEnd` reads `end`); a `-1` blockStart
+// marks the no-block forms, where `blockEnd` derives to `-1`.
+/** @type {(r: Node, blockStart: number) => void} */
+const _setBlock = (r, bs) => {
+	_aux1[_nodeIndex(r)] = bs;
 };
+/** @type {(r: Node) => void} */
+const _setImportant = (r) => {
+	_flags[_nodeIndex(r)] |= 1;
+};
+// A simple block's token is derived from its opening char on read.
+/** @type {(r: Node, ch: SimpleBlockToken) => void} */
+const _setToken = (r, ch) => {};
+/** @type {(r: Node, list: Node[]) => void} */
+const _setValue = (r, list) => {
+	// Seal the finished list: copy its refs into the flat buffer and hand the
+	// scratch array back to the pool. The caller never touches `list` again.
+	const len = list.length;
+	// Empty seal (common in non-modules skip mode, where value/prelude leaves are
+	// dropped): `_makeContainer` already left `_listLens` at 0, so skip the flat
+	// writes entirely and just recycle the scratch array.
+	if (len !== 0) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(r);
+		const start = _flatTop;
+		if (start + len > _flat.length) _flatGrow(start + len);
+		for (let k = 0; k < len; k++) {
+			_flat[start + k] = _nodeIndex(list[k]);
+		}
+		_flatTop = start + len;
+		_listStarts[i] = start;
+		_listLens[i] = len;
+		list.length = 0;
+	}
+	_listPool.push(list);
+};
+/** @type {(r: Node, decls: Node[], childRules: Node[]) => void} */
+const _setBody = (r, decls, childRules) => {
+	const i = _nodeIndex(r);
+	_declarationLists[i] = decls;
+	_childRuleLists[i] = childRules;
+};
+/** @type {(r: Node) => number} */
+const _nodeTypeOf = (r) => _types[_nodeIndex(r)];
+/** @type {(r: Node) => number} */
+const _nodeStartOf = (r) => _starts[_nodeIndex(r)];
+/** @type {(r: Node) => string} */
+const _nodeValueOf = (r) => _valueOf(_nodeIndex(r));
+/** @type {(r: Node) => SimpleBlockToken} */
+const _nodeTokenOf = (r) =>
+	/** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (_input[_starts[_nodeIndex(r)]]);
+// A container's value, a rule's prelude, and a stylesheet's rules all seal into
+// the one content-list writer, so `_setPrelude` / `_setRules` are named views of
+// `_setValue` that keep the consume algorithms reading in spec terms.
+const _setPrelude = _setValue;
+const _setRules = _setValue;
+
 /**
+ * Start a parse into the store: point it at this source, reset the node /
+ * flat cursors so nodes accumulate from id 1, and clear skip state (`grammar`
+ * sets its own afterwards; `parseA*` leave it off to build the full tree).
  * @param {string} input source
  * @param {LocConverter} lc loc converter
  */
-const useSoaBackend = (input, lc) => {
-	_soaInput = input;
-	_soaLC = lc;
-	_soaN = 0;
-	_mkLeaf = (type, start, end) => _soaAlloc(type, start, end);
-	_mkUrl = (start, end, cs, ce) => {
-		const r = _soaAlloc(T_URL, start, end);
-		_soaA0[_ix(r)] = cs;
-		_soaA1[_ix(r)] = ce;
-		return r;
-	};
-	_mkContainer = (type, start, end) => _soaAllocContainer(type, start, end);
-	_mkStylesheet = (start) => _soaAllocContainer(T_STYLESHEET, start, start);
-	// name / nameStart are derived from start + nameEnd; only nameEnd is stored.
-	_setName = (r, v, ns, ne) => {
-		_soaA0[_ix(r)] = ne;
-	};
-	_setEnd = (r, v) => {
-		_soaEn[_ix(r)] = v;
-	};
-	_setBlock = (r, bs, be) => {
-		const i = _ix(r);
-		_soaA1[i] = bs;
-		_soaA2[i] = be;
-	};
-	_setImportant = (r) => {
-		_soaFl[_ix(r)] |= 1;
-	};
-	// A simple block's token is derived from its opening char on read.
-	_setToken = (r, ch) => {};
-	_setValue = (r, list) => {
-		_soaL0[_ix(r)] = list;
-	};
-	_setPrelude = (r, list) => {
-		_soaL0[_ix(r)] = list;
-	};
-	_setBody = (r, decls, childRules) => {
-		const i = _ix(r);
-		_soaL1[i] = decls;
-		_soaL2[i] = childRules;
-	};
-	_setRules = (r, list) => {
-		_soaL0[_ix(r)] = list;
-	};
-	_nType = (r) => _soaTy[_ix(r)];
-	_nStart = (r) => _soaSt[_ix(r)];
-	_nValue = (r) => _soaValueOf(_ix(r));
-	_nToken = (r) => /** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (_soaInput[_soaSt[_ix(r)]]);
+const _setupParse = (input, lc) => {
+	_input = input;
+	_locConverter = lc;
+	_nodeCount = 0;
+	_flatTop = 0;
+	_skipTypes = _NO_SKIP_TYPES;
+	_skipActive = false;
+	_skipSelectorPrelude = false;
+	_skipAtRulePrelude = false;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -1909,9 +1764,9 @@ const tokenToNode = (t) => {
 	// plain leaf whose node type comes from the map.
 	if (tt === TT_URL) {
 		const ut = /** @type {CssUrlToken} */ (t);
-		return _mkUrl(t.start, t.end, ut.contentStart, ut.contentEnd);
+		return _makeUrl(t.start, t.end, ut.contentStart, ut.contentEnd);
 	}
-	return _mkLeaf(_ttToNodeType[tt], t.start, t.end);
+	return _makeLeaf(_ttToNodeType[tt], t.start, t.end);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2033,6 +1888,20 @@ class TokenStream {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Advance past the already-peeked next token, skipping the redundant `next()`
+	 * re-check `consume` / `discard` pay. Precondition: the caller has just called
+	 * `next()` (so `_tok` is the cached next token and `_hasNext` is true) and that
+	 * token is not the `<eof-token>` — the hot "peek, decide, advance" sites where
+	 * both always hold. Callers that can't guarantee a non-EOF cached token use
+	 * `consume` / `discard` instead.
+	 * @returns {void}
+	 */
+	advance() {
+		this._pos = this._tok.end;
+		this._hasNext = false;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Mark (CSS Syntax §3 "mark") — push the current cursor position.
 	 * @returns {void}
@@ -2088,30 +1957,380 @@ const normalizeIntoTokenStream = (input, pos, onComment) =>
 // algorithms that drive the tokenizer.
 
 /**
- * @typedef {object} ParseListOptions
+ * @typedef {object} ParseOptions
  * @property {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback; the public `parse*` entry points use it to build the `TokenStream` so the outer parser's comment tracker still sees magic comments inside the consumed range
  */
 
+// === parseA* retained store + property-accessor readers ===
+// `grammar` recycles the columns per top-level rule, but the `parseA*` entry
+// points must hand back a tree that outlives the parse. Each `parseA*` run parses
+// into the columns without recycling, then `_finishStore` hands them to a
+// snapshot object and resets the module columns to fresh arrays so the next parse
+// can't clobber it. Nodes are exposed as `parseA*` readers: plain objects sharing
+// one module-level prototype whose getters index the reader's own snapshot by node
+// id — no per-node class, no eager string slices, child readers built lazily on
+// access. A single shared prototype (rather than one per store) keeps the readers
+// monomorphic across parses, so `_readerAt` and every getter stay on the fast path.
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} NodeReader
+ * @property {NodeStore} _store snapshot this reader indexes
+ * @property {number} _i node id into the snapshot columns
+ * @property {number} type node type
+ * @property {number} start start offset
+ * @property {number} end end offset
+ * @property {[number, number]} range start / end offsets
+ * @property {{ start: { line: number, column: number }, end: { line: number, column: number } }} loc source location
+ * @property {() => string} toString source slice
+ * @property {string | ComponentValue[]} value token value (leaf) or component-value list (function / block / declaration)
+ * @property {string} unescaped unescaped token value
+ * @property {number} numericValue parsed numeric value
+ * @property {"integer" | "number" | "id" | "unrestricted"} typeFlag spec type flag
+ * @property {"+" | "-" | ""} sign spec sign
+ * @property {string} unit dimension unit (lower-cased)
+ * @property {number} contentStart url content start offset
+ * @property {number} contentEnd url content end offset
+ * @property {string} name rule / declaration / function name
+ * @property {number} nameStart name start offset
+ * @property {number} nameEnd name end offset
+ * @property {string} unescapedName unescaped name
+ * @property {ComponentValue[]} prelude rule prelude
+ * @property {Declaration[] | null} declarations block declarations
+ * @property {Rule[] | null} childRules block child rules
+ * @property {number} blockStart `{` start offset
+ * @property {number} blockEnd `}` end offset
+ * @property {boolean} important `!important` flag
+ * @property {SimpleBlockToken} token simple-block opening char
+ * @property {Rule[]} rules stylesheet rules
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {object} NodeStore
+ * @property {string} input source
+ * @property {LocConverter} lc loc converter
+ * @property {Uint8Array} types node-type column
+ * @property {Int32Array} starts start-offset column
+ * @property {Int32Array} ends end-offset column
+ * @property {Int32Array} aux0 aux slot 0
+ * @property {Int32Array} aux1 aux slot 1
+ * @property {Uint8Array} flags flags column
+ * @property {Int32Array} listStarts content-span start column
+ * @property {Int32Array} listLens content-span length column
+ * @property {Int32Array} flat flat node-ref buffer
+ * @property {(Node[] | null)[]} declLists per-node declaration lists
+ * @property {(Node[] | null)[]} childLists per-node child-rule lists
+ */
+
+// Shared frozen empty list for a block body with no declarations / child rules,
+// so equal-empty reads return one reference (mirrors `_EMPTY_LIST`).
+const _READER_EMPTY = /** @type {Rule[]} */ (
+	/** @type {unknown} */ (Object.freeze([]))
+);
+
+/**
+ * Raw token value over a snapshot (the lazy `Token.value` form): hash / at-keyword
+ * drop their one-char prefix, url uses its content range.
+ * @param {NodeStore} store snapshot
+ * @param {number} i node id
+ * @returns {string} raw token value
+ */
+const _storeValueOf = (store, i) => {
+	const ty = store.types[i];
+	if (ty === T_HASH || ty === T_AT_KEYWORD) {
+		return store.input.slice(store.starts[i] + 1, store.ends[i]);
+	}
+	if (ty === T_URL) return store.input.slice(store.aux0[i], store.aux1[i]);
+	return store.input.slice(store.starts[i], store.ends[i]);
+};
+
+/**
+ * @param {NodeStore} store snapshot
+ * @param {number} i node id
+ * @returns {Node} reader over node `i`
+ */
+const _readerAt = (store, i) => {
+	const o = Object.create(NODE_READER_PROTO);
+	o._store = store;
+	o._i = i;
+	return /** @type {Node} */ (o);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Readers over a container's flat content span (value / prelude / rules).
+ * @param {NodeStore} store snapshot
+ * @param {number} i container id
+ * @returns {Node[]} child readers
+ */
+const _readList = (store, i) => {
+	const s = store.listStarts[i];
+	const len = store.listLens[i];
+	const flat = store.flat;
+	/** @type {Node[]} */
+	const out = [];
+	for (let k = 0; k < len; k++) out.push(_readerAt(store, flat[s + k]));
+	return out;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Readers over a node-id list (declarations / child rules).
+ * @param {NodeStore} store snapshot
+ * @param {Node[]} list node-id list
+ * @returns {Node[]} child readers
+ */
+const _readRefList = (store, list) => {
+	/** @type {Node[]} */
+	const out = [];
+	for (let k = 0; k < list.length; k++) {
+		out.push(_readerAt(store, _nodeIndex(list[k])));
+	}
+	return out;
+};
+
+// Module-level reader prototype shared by every `parseA*` reader. Getters index
+// the reader's own `_store` snapshot by its `_i` node id; because the prototype is
+// created once (not per store), all readers share one hidden map and stay
+// monomorphic across parses.
+const NODE_READER_PROTO = /** @type {NodeReader} */ ({
+	_store: /** @type {NodeStore} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null)),
+	_i: 0,
+	get type() {
+		return this._store.types[this._i];
+	},
+	get start() {
+		return this._store.starts[this._i];
+	},
+	get end() {
+		return this._store.ends[this._i];
+	},
+	get range() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		return /** @type {[number, number]} */ ([store.starts[i], store.ends[i]]);
+	},
+	get loc() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		const lc = store.lc;
+		// `LocConverter#get` mutates and returns itself, so snapshot the first.
+		const s = lc.get(store.starts[i]);
+		const sl = s.line;
+		const sc = s.column;
+		const e = lc.get(store.ends[i]);
+		return {
+			start: { line: sl, column: sc },
+			end: { line: e.line, column: e.column }
+		};
+	},
+	toString() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		return store.input.slice(store.starts[i], store.ends[i]);
+	},
+	get value() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		const ty = store.types[i];
+		// function / simple-block / declaration expose their component-value
+		// list; every leaf token exposes its raw string value.
+		return ty === T_FUNCTION || ty === T_SIMPLE_BLOCK || ty === T_DECLARATION
+			? /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_readList(store, i))
+			: _storeValueOf(store, i);
+	},
+	get unescaped() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		const v = _storeValueOf(store, i);
+		return store.types[i] === T_STRING
+			? unescapeIdentifier(v.slice(1, -1))
+			: unescapeIdentifier(v);
+	},
+	get numericValue() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		const v = _storeValueOf(store, i);
+		if (store.types[i] === T_DIMENSION) {
+			return Number(v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)));
+		}
+		if (store.types[i] === T_PERCENTAGE) return Number(v.slice(0, -1));
+		return Number(v);
+	},
+	get typeFlag() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		if (store.types[i] === T_HASH) {
+			const input = store.input;
+			const p = store.starts[i] + 1;
+			return _ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartAnIdentSequence(
+				input,
+				p,
+				input.charCodeAt(p),
+				input.charCodeAt(p + 1),
+				input.charCodeAt(p + 2)
+			)
+				? "id"
+				: "unrestricted";
+		}
+		const v = _storeValueOf(store, i);
+		return _typeFlagOf(
+			store.types[i] === T_DIMENSION ? v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)) : v
+		);
+	},
+	get sign() {
+		return _signOf(_storeValueOf(this._store, this._i));
+	},
+	get unit() {
+		const v = _storeValueOf(this._store, this._i);
+		return v.slice(_consumeANumber(v, 0)).toLowerCase();
+	},
+	get contentStart() {
+		return this._store.aux0[this._i];
+	},
+	get contentEnd() {
+		return this._store.aux1[this._i];
+	},
+	get name() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		// An at-rule's name skips its `@`; others start at the node.
+		return store.types[i] === T_AT_RULE
+			? store.input.slice(store.starts[i] + 1, store.aux0[i])
+			: store.input.slice(store.starts[i], store.aux0[i]);
+	},
+	get nameStart() {
+		return this._store.starts[this._i];
+	},
+	get nameEnd() {
+		return this._store.aux0[this._i];
+	},
+	get unescapedName() {
+		return unescapeIdentifier(this.name);
+	},
+	get prelude() {
+		return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_readList(this._store, this._i));
+	},
+	get declarations() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		// Non-rule containers never populate this slot (see `_makeContainer`), so a
+		// missing entry (`undefined`) is normalized to `null` — same as a rule with
+		// no block.
+		const list = store.declLists[this._i] || null;
+		return list === null
+			? null
+			: /** @type {Declaration[]} */ (
+					list.length > 0 ? _readRefList(store, list) : _READER_EMPTY
+				);
+	},
+	get childRules() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const list = store.childLists[this._i] || null;
+		return list === null
+			? null
+			: /** @type {Rule[]} */ (
+					list.length > 0 ? _readRefList(store, list) : _READER_EMPTY
+				);
+	},
+	get blockStart() {
+		return this._store.aux1[this._i];
+	},
+	get blockEnd() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		const i = this._i;
+		return store.aux1[i] !== -1 ? store.ends[i] : -1;
+	},
+	get important() {
+		return (this._store.flags[this._i] & 1) !== 0;
+	},
+	get token() {
+		const store = this._store;
+		return /** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (store.input[store.starts[this._i]]);
+	},
+	get rules() {
+		return /** @type {Rule[]} */ (_readList(this._store, this._i));
+	}
+});
+
+/**
+ * Hand the module's live columns to a retained snapshot, then reset the
+ * module columns to fresh empty arrays so the next parse starts clean and can't
+ * mutate this store. Called once per `parseA*` after all consuming is done.
+ * @returns {NodeStore} the retained snapshot
+ */
+const _finishStore = () => {
+	/** @type {NodeStore} */
+	const store = {
+		input: _input,
+		lc: _locConverter,
+		types: _types,
+		starts: _starts,
+		ends: _ends,
+		aux0: _aux0,
+		aux1: _aux1,
+		flags: _flags,
+		listStarts: _listStarts,
+		listLens: _listLens,
+		flat: _flat,
+		declLists: _declarationLists,
+		childLists: _childRuleLists
+	};
+	// Carry this parse's size forward as a one-shot grow hint so the next parse
+	// allocates its columns once instead of re-doubling from scratch (node ids
+	// are 1-based, so `+1`).
+	_growHint = _nodeCount + 1;
+	_flatGrowHint = _flatTop;
+	// Reset module state — the columns now belong to `store`.
+	_capacity = 0;
+	_nodeCount = 0;
+	_flatTop = 0;
+	_types = new Uint8Array(0);
+	_starts = new Int32Array(0);
+	_ends = new Int32Array(0);
+	_aux0 = new Int32Array(0);
+	_aux1 = new Int32Array(0);
+	_flags = new Uint8Array(0);
+	_listStarts = new Int32Array(0);
+	_listLens = new Int32Array(0);
+	_flat = new Int32Array(0);
+	_declarationLists = [];
+	_childRuleLists = [];
+	_listPool.length = 0;
+	_input = "";
+	_locConverter = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
+	return store;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Finish the parse and wrap one consumed node ref as a `parseA*` reader, keeping
+ * the caller's node type.
+ * @template {Node} T
+ * @param {T} ref consumed node ref
+ * @returns {T} reader over the retained snapshot
+ */
+const _finishOne = (ref) =>
+	/** @type {T} */ (_readerAt(_finishStore(), _nodeIndex(ref)));
+
 /**
  * Parse a stylesheet, CSS Syntax Level 3
  * [§5.3.4](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-stylesheet).
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
- * @param {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {Stylesheet} the parsed stylesheet
  */
-const parseAStylesheet = (input, comment) => {
+const parseAStylesheet = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. If input is a byte stream for a stylesheet, decode bytes from input, and set input to the result.
 	// 2. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
-	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, 0, comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 3. Create a new stylesheet, with its location set to location (or null, if location was not passed).
 	const start = ts.next().start;
-	const stylesheet = /** @type {Stylesheet} */ (_mkStylesheet(start));
+	const stylesheet = _makeStylesheet(start);
 	// 4. Consume a stylesheet's contents from input, and set the stylesheet's rules to the result.
 	_setRules(stylesheet, consumeAStylesheetsContents(ts));
 	_setEnd(stylesheet, ts.next().start);
 	// 5. Return the stylesheet.
-	return stylesheet;
+	return /** @type {Stylesheet} */ (
+		_readerAt(_finishStore(), _nodeIndex(stylesheet))
+	);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2121,15 +2340,18 @@ const parseAStylesheet = (input, comment) => {
  * declarations are parse errors (never produced) and top-level CDO (`<!--`) /
  * CDC (`-->`) tokens are discarded.
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
- * @param {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {Rule[]} top-level rules
  */
-const parseAStylesheetsContents = (input, comment) => {
+const parseAStylesheetsContents = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
-	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, 0, comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Consume a stylesheet’s contents from input, and return the result.
-	return consumeAStylesheetsContents(ts);
+	const rules = consumeAStylesheetsContents(ts);
+	const store = _finishStore();
+	return /** @type {Rule[]} */ (_readRefList(store, rules));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2137,15 +2359,23 @@ const parseAStylesheetsContents = (input, comment) => {
  * [§5.3.6](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-block-contents).
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only; just past the opening `{`, or 0)
- * @param {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {{ decls: Declaration[], rules: Rule[] }} block decls + rules
  */
-const parseABlocksContents = (input, pos, comment) => {
+const parseABlocksContents = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
-	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Consume a block’s contents from input, and return the result.
-	return consumeABlocksContents(ts);
+	const { decls, rules } = consumeABlocksContents(ts);
+	const store = _finishStore();
+	return {
+		decls: /** @type {Declaration[]} */ (_readRefList(store, decls)),
+		rules:
+			rules.length > 0
+				? /** @type {Rule[]} */ (_readRefList(store, rules))
+				: _READER_EMPTY
+	};
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2155,15 +2385,15 @@ const parseABlocksContents = (input, pos, comment) => {
  * whitespace; `undefined` (syntax error) otherwise.
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
- * @param {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {Rule | undefined} the parsed rule
  */
-const parseARule = (input, pos, comment) => {
+const parseARule = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
-	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 	// 3. If the next token from input is an <EOF-token>, return a syntax error.
 	// Otherwise, if the next token from input is an <at-keyword-token>, consume an at-rule from input, and let rule be the return value.
 	// Otherwise, consume a qualified rule from input and let rule be the return value.
@@ -2176,9 +2406,9 @@ const parseARule = (input, pos, comment) => {
 			: consumeAQualifiedRule(ts);
 	if (!rule) return undefined;
 	// 4. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 	// 5. If the next token from input is an <EOF-token>, return rule. Otherwise, return a syntax error.
-	return ts.next().type === TT_EOF ? rule : undefined;
+	return ts.next().type === TT_EOF ? _finishOne(rule) : undefined;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2186,41 +2416,41 @@ const parseARule = (input, pos, comment) => {
  * [§5.3.8](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-declaration).
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
- * @param {((input: string, start: number, end: number) => number)=} comment optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {Declaration | undefined} the parsed declaration, or undefined
  */
-const parseADeclaration = (input, pos, comment) => {
+const parseADeclaration = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
-	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 	// 3. Consume a declaration from input. If anything was returned, return it. Otherwise, return a syntax error.
-	return consumeADeclaration(ts);
+	const decl = consumeADeclaration(ts);
+	return decl === undefined ? undefined : _finishOne(decl);
 };
 
 /**
  * Parse a component value, CSS Syntax Level 3 [§5.3.9](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-component-value) — strict entry point that consumes one value and returns `undefined` if non-whitespace input trails (use `consumeAComponentValue` for "one value, ignore the rest").
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
- * @param {{ comment?: (input: string, start: number, end: number) => number }=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options optional comment-token callback (string input only)
  * @returns {ComponentValue | undefined} the parsed component value, or `undefined` on empty / trailing-garbage input
  */
-const parseAComponentValue = (input, pos, options = {}) => {
+const parseAComponentValue = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
 	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 	// 3. If input is empty, return a syntax error.
 	if (ts.next().type === TT_EOF) return undefined;
 	// 4. Consume a component value from input and let value be the return value.
 	const result = consumeAComponentValue(ts);
 	// 5. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 	// 6. If input is empty, return value. Otherwise, return a syntax error.
-	if (ts.next().type === TT_EOF) return result;
-	return undefined;
+	return ts.next().type === TT_EOF ? _finishOne(result) : undefined;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -2228,44 +2458,52 @@ const parseAComponentValue = (input, pos, options = {}) => {
  * [§5.3.10](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-list-of-components).
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
- * @param {ParseListOptions=} options comment callback
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options comment callback
  * @returns {ComponentValue[]} component values
  */
-const parseAListOfComponentValues = (input, pos, options = {}) => {
+const parseAListOfComponentValues = (input, pos = 0, options = {}) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
 	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Consume a list of component values from input, and return the result.
-	return consumeAListOfComponentValues(ts);
+	// (`null` needs `bailOnCurly`, which is not passed here.)
+	const values = /** @type {Node[]} */ (consumeAListOfComponentValues(ts));
+	const store = _finishStore();
+	return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_readRefList(store, values));
 };
 
 /**
  * Parse a comma-separated list of component values, CSS Syntax Level 3 [§5.3.11](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#parse-comma-list) — consumes one `<comma-token>`-stopped group of component values per iteration until EOF.
  * @param {string | TokenStream} input source string or an existing token stream
  * @param {number=} pos start position (string input only)
- * @param {ParseListOptions=} options comment callback
+ * @param {ParseOptions=} options comment callback
  * @returns {ComponentValue[][]} comma-separated groups of component values
  */
 const parseACommaSeparatedListOfComponentValues = (
 	input,
-	pos,
+	pos = 0,
 	options = {}
 ) => {
 	// 1. Normalize input, and set input to the result.
 	const ts = normalizeIntoTokenStream(input, pos, options.comment);
-	useObjectBackend(ts.locConverter);
+	_setupParse(ts.input, ts.locConverter);
 	// 2. Let groups be an empty list.
-	/** @type {ComponentValue[][]} */
+	/** @type {Node[][]} */
 	const groups = [];
 	// 3. While input is not empty:
 	while (ts.next().type !== TT_EOF) {
 		// 3.1. Consume a list of component values from input, with <comma-token> as the stop token, and append the result to groups.
-		groups.push(consumeAListOfComponentValues(ts, TT_COMMA));
+		groups.push(
+			/** @type {Node[]} */ (consumeAListOfComponentValues(ts, TT_COMMA))
+		);
 		// 3.2 Discard a token from input.
 		ts.discard();
 	}
-	// 4. Return groups.
-	return groups;
+	// 4. Return groups — wrap each group's refs against the retained snapshot.
+	const store = _finishStore();
+	return groups.map(
+		(g) => /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_readRefList(store, g))
+	);
 };
 
 // === Parser algorithms (CSS Syntax Level 3 §5.4) ===
@@ -2335,18 +2573,14 @@ const consumeAnAtRule = (ts, nested = false) => {
 	// Consume a token from input, and let rule be a new at-rule with its name set to the returned token’s value, its prelude initially set to an empty list, and no declarations or child rules.
 	const head = ts.consume();
 	const rule = /** @type {AtRule} */ (
-		_mkContainer(T_AT_RULE, head.start, head.end)
+		_makeContainer(T_AT_RULE, head.start, head.end)
 	);
-	_setName(
-		rule,
-		ts.input.slice(head.start + 1, head.end),
-		head.start,
-		head.end
-	);
-	const prelude = _list();
-	_setPrelude(rule, prelude);
-	// declarations / childRules / blockStart (-1) / blockEnd (-1) keep their
-	// defaults (no block: the `;` / EOF / nested-`}` at-rule forms).
+	_setName(rule, head.start, head.end);
+	// Sealed (`_setPrelude`) at each return — the store consumes the
+	// scratch array when sealing, so it must be complete by then.
+	const prelude = _takeList();
+	// declarations / childRules stay null (no block); the `;` / EOF / nested-`}`
+	// forms set blockStart / blockEnd to -1 explicitly at their return below.
 
 	// Like `consumeAQualifiedRule`: skip mode scans the prelude without
 	// materializing it (url tokens / functions kept so `@import url(…)` still
@@ -2362,6 +2596,8 @@ const consumeAnAtRule = (ts, nested = false) => {
 		// Discard a token from input. If rule is valid in the current context, return it; otherwise return nothing.
 		if (t.type === TT_SEMICOLON || t.type === TT_EOF) {
 			ts.discard();
+			_setPrelude(rule, prelude);
+			_setBlock(rule, -1);
 			_setEnd(rule, t.start);
 			return rule;
 		}
@@ -2370,6 +2606,8 @@ const consumeAnAtRule = (ts, nested = false) => {
 		// Otherwise, consume a token and append the result to rule’s prelude.
 		else if (t.type === TT_RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET) {
 			if (nested) {
+				_setPrelude(rule, prelude);
+				_setBlock(rule, -1);
 				_setEnd(rule, t.start);
 				return rule;
 			}
@@ -2380,9 +2618,10 @@ const consumeAnAtRule = (ts, nested = false) => {
 		// <{-token>
 		// Consume a block from input, and assign the result to rule's declarations and child rules.
 		else if (t.type === TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET) {
+			_setPrelude(rule, prelude);
 			const block = consumeABlock(ts);
 			_setBody(rule, block.decls, block.rules);
-			_setBlock(rule, block.blockStart, block.blockEnd);
+			_setBlock(rule, block.blockStart);
 			_setEnd(rule, block.blockEnd);
 			return rule;
 		}
@@ -2392,7 +2631,10 @@ const consumeAnAtRule = (ts, nested = false) => {
 		const node = consumeAComponentValue(ts, t);
 		if (!skip) {
 			prelude.push(node);
-		} else if (_nType(node) === T_FUNCTION || _nType(node) === T_URL) {
+		} else if (
+			_nodeTypeOf(node) === T_FUNCTION ||
+			_nodeTypeOf(node) === T_URL
+		) {
 			prelude.push(node);
 		}
 	}
@@ -2423,19 +2665,31 @@ const consumeAQualifiedRule = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 	const start = ts.next().start;
 	// Let rule be a new qualified rule with its prelude, declarations, and child rules all initially set to empty lists.
 	const rule = /** @type {QualifiedRule} */ (
-		_mkContainer(T_QUALIFIED_RULE, start, start)
+		_makeContainer(T_QUALIFIED_RULE, start, start)
 	);
-	const prelude = _list();
-	_setPrelude(rule, prelude);
-	// declarations / childRules / blockStart (-1) / blockEnd (-1) keep their
-	// defaults (no block until a `{` is reached).
+	// Sealed (`_setPrelude`) at the `{` exit — the only path that returns the
+	// rule; the parse-error exits abandon the scratch unsealed. Allocated lazily
+	// on first push: skip mode usually pushes nothing (empty selector prelude),
+	// and `_makeContainer` already zeroed the rule's list length, so a null
+	// prelude reads as empty in the walk.
+	/** @type {Node[] | null} */
+	let prelude = null;
+	// A returned qualified rule always has a block (only the `{` exit returns a
+	// rule), so `_setBlock` always runs — no blockStart / blockEnd default needed.
 
 	// Skip mode leaves `prelude` empty (selector text is recovered from the
 	// rule's byte range, not its nodes); `first`/`second` still track the first
 	// two non-whitespace tokens the `--foo: {` disambiguation below needs.
 	const skip = _skipSelectorPrelude;
+	// Non-skip: first two non-whitespace prelude nodes (computed at the `{`).
 	let first = /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (0));
 	let second = /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (0));
+	// Skip mode: the same two tokens tracked by token type + start, so a dropped
+	// leaf selector token needs no materialized node just for the disambiguation.
+	// `0` (no token type) = unset.
+	let firstTT = 0;
+	let firstStart = 0;
+	let secondTT = 0;
 
 	// Process input
 	for (;;) {
@@ -2450,12 +2704,17 @@ const consumeAQualifiedRule = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 		// This is a parse error. If nested is true, return nothing. Otherwise, consume a token and append the result to rule’s prelude.
 		else if (t.type === TT_RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET) {
 			if (nested) return undefined;
-			const node = consumeATokenAsNode(ts);
 			if (skip) {
-				if (!first) first = node;
-				else if (!second) second = node;
+				// Stray `}` is a non-ws token; record its type/start, drop the node.
+				if (firstTT === 0) {
+					firstTT = t.type;
+					firstStart = t.start;
+				} else if (secondTT === 0) {
+					secondTT = t.type;
+				}
+				ts.advance();
 			} else {
-				prelude.push(node);
+				(prelude || (prelude = _takeList())).push(consumeATokenAsNode(ts));
 			}
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -2466,34 +2725,45 @@ const consumeAQualifiedRule = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 		// (This disambiguates custom-property declarations from nested qualified rules — `--foo: { … }` at top level of a block is a declaration, not a rule.)
 		// Otherwise, consume a block from input, and let child rules be the result.
 		else if (t.type === TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET) {
-			if (!skip) {
+			// `--foo: {` disambiguation: are the first two non-ws prelude tokens an
+			// ident starting with `--` followed by a colon? Skip mode reads the
+			// tracked token type/start; non-skip reads the materialized prelude.
+			let dashedDeclaration;
+			if (skip) {
+				dashedDeclaration =
+					firstTT === TT_IDENTIFIER &&
+					ts.input.startsWith("--", firstStart) &&
+					secondTT === TT_COLON;
+			} else if (prelude === null) {
+				dashedDeclaration = false;
+			} else {
 				let firstIdx = 0;
 				/* istanbul ignore next -- @preserve: leading whitespace is discarded before the rule, so the prelude never starts with it */
 				while (
 					firstIdx < prelude.length &&
-					_nType(prelude[firstIdx]) === T_WHITESPACE
+					_nodeTypeOf(prelude[firstIdx]) === T_WHITESPACE
 				) {
 					firstIdx++;
 				}
 				let secondIdx = firstIdx + 1;
 				while (
 					secondIdx < prelude.length &&
-					_nType(prelude[secondIdx]) === T_WHITESPACE
+					_nodeTypeOf(prelude[secondIdx]) === T_WHITESPACE
 				) {
 					secondIdx++;
 				}
 				first = prelude[firstIdx];
 				second = prelude[secondIdx];
+				dashedDeclaration =
+					first &&
+					_nodeTypeOf(first) === T_IDENT &&
+					// Test the source bytes directly — avoids forcing the lazy `value`
+					// slice just to check the `--` custom-property prefix.
+					ts.input.startsWith("--", _nodeStartOf(first)) &&
+					second &&
+					_nodeTypeOf(second) === T_COLON;
 			}
-			if (
-				first &&
-				_nType(first) === T_IDENT &&
-				// Test the source bytes directly — avoids forcing the lazy `value`
-				// slice just to check the `--` custom-property prefix.
-				ts.input.startsWith("--", _nStart(first)) &&
-				second &&
-				_nType(second) === T_COLON
-			) {
+			if (dashedDeclaration) {
 				/* istanbul ignore if -- @preserve: when nested, `declarationStartLikely` routes every `--x:` to consumeADeclaration (which accepts custom properties), so this fallthrough is unreachable */
 				if (nested) {
 					consumeTheRemnantsOfABadDeclaration(ts, true);
@@ -2502,29 +2772,45 @@ const consumeAQualifiedRule = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 				}
 				return undefined;
 			}
+			if (prelude !== null) _setPrelude(rule, prelude);
 			const block = consumeABlock(ts);
 			_setBody(rule, block.decls, block.rules);
-			_setBlock(rule, block.blockStart, block.blockEnd);
+			_setBlock(rule, block.blockStart);
 			_setEnd(rule, block.blockEnd);
 			return rule;
 		}
 
 		// anything else
 		// Consume a component value from input and append the result to rule’s prelude.
-		const node = consumeAComponentValue(ts, t);
 		if (skip) {
-			// Keep only url-bearing nodes (url tokens, or functions that may hold a
-			// url like `:unknown(url(x))`) so the url visitor still rewrites them;
-			// other selector tokens have no non-modules consumer, so drop them.
-			const ty = _nType(node);
-			if (ty === T_FUNCTION || ty === T_URL) prelude.push(node);
+			const tt = t.type;
 			// Track the first two non-whitespace tokens for the disambiguation above.
-			if (t.type !== TT_WHITESPACE) {
-				if (!first) first = node;
-				else if (!second) second = node;
+			if (tt !== TT_WHITESPACE) {
+				if (firstTT === 0) {
+					firstTT = tt;
+					firstStart = t.start;
+				} else if (secondTT === 0) {
+					secondTT = tt;
+				}
+			}
+			// Only functions (which may hold a url like `:unknown(url(x))`) and the
+			// `(` / `[` blocks that must be balanced are materialized; the url
+			// visitor keeps url / function nodes. Every other selector leaf token has
+			// no non-modules consumer — drop it without building a node.
+			if (
+				tt === TT_FUNCTION ||
+				(tt >= TT_LEFT_PARENTHESIS && tt <= TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET)
+			) {
+				const node = consumeAComponentValue(ts, t);
+				const ty = _nodeTypeOf(node);
+				if (ty === T_FUNCTION || ty === T_URL) {
+					(prelude || (prelude = _takeList())).push(node);
+				}
+			} else {
+				ts.advance();
 			}
 		} else {
-			prelude.push(node);
+			(prelude || (prelude = _takeList())).push(consumeAComponentValue(ts, t));
 		}
 	}
 };
@@ -2601,22 +2887,26 @@ const declarationStartLikely = (ts) => {
 const consumeABlocksContents = (ts, onNode) => {
 	/** @type {Declaration[]} */
 	const decls = [];
-	/** @type {Rule[]} */
-	const rules = [];
+	// Child rules are the common empty case (most rules carry only declarations),
+	// so `rules` is allocated lazily and returned as the shared frozen
+	// `_EMPTY_LIST` when nothing was appended — one fewer array per rule. `decls`
+	// stays eager so the hot declaration append keeps a branch-free `push`.
+	/** @type {Rule[] | null} */
+	let rules = null;
 
 	// Process input:
 	for (;;) {
 		const t = ts.next();
 
 		// <whitespace-token> / <semicolon-token>
-		// Discard a token from input.
+		// Discard a token from input (`t` was just peeked and is non-EOF).
 		if (t.type === TT_WHITESPACE || t.type === TT_SEMICOLON) {
-			ts.discard();
+			ts.advance();
 		}
 		// <EOF-token> / <}-token>
 		// Return decls and rules.
 		else if (t.type === TT_EOF || t.type === TT_RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET) {
-			return { decls, rules };
+			return { decls, rules: rules || _EMPTY_LIST };
 		}
 		// <at-keyword-token>
 		// Consume an at-rule from input, with nested set to true. If a rule was returned, append it to rules.
@@ -2624,7 +2914,7 @@ const consumeABlocksContents = (ts, onNode) => {
 			const atRule = consumeAnAtRule(ts, true);
 			if (atRule) {
 				if (onNode) onNode(atRule);
-				else rules.push(atRule);
+				else (rules || (rules = [])).push(atRule);
 			}
 		}
 		// anything else
@@ -2647,7 +2937,7 @@ const consumeABlocksContents = (ts, onNode) => {
 			const rule = consumeAQualifiedRule(ts, TT_SEMICOLON, true);
 			if (rule) {
 				if (onNode) onNode(rule);
-				else rules.push(rule);
+				else (rules || (rules = [])).push(rule);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -2692,54 +2982,70 @@ const consumeADeclaration = (ts, nested = false) => {
 	const { input } = ts;
 	// Let decl be a new declaration, with an initially empty name and a value set to an empty list.
 	const start = ts.next().start;
-	// name "" / nameStart / nameEnd (= start) / important (false) keep their
-	// `Container` defaults; `value` is set unconditionally at step 5 below.
+	// nameEnd (= start) / important (unset) keep their container defaults;
+	// `value` is set unconditionally at step 5 below.
 	const decl = /** @type {Declaration} */ (
-		_mkContainer(T_DECLARATION, start, start)
+		_makeContainer(T_DECLARATION, start, start)
 	);
 
 	// 1. If the next token is an <ident-token>, consume a token from input and set decl's name to the returned token's value.
 	// Otherwise, consume the remnants of a bad declaration from input, with nested, and return nothing.
 	if (ts.next().type === TT_IDENTIFIER) {
 		const head = ts.consume();
-		_setName(decl, input.slice(head.start, head.end), head.start, head.end);
+		_setName(decl, head.start, head.end);
 	} else {
 		consumeTheRemnantsOfABadDeclaration(ts, nested);
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
 	// 2. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
 
 	// 3. If the next token is a <colon-token>, discard a token from input.
 	//    Otherwise, consume the remnants of a bad declaration from input, with nested, and return nothing.
 	if (ts.next().type === TT_COLON) {
-		ts.discard();
+		ts.advance();
 	} else {
 		consumeTheRemnantsOfABadDeclaration(ts, nested);
 		return undefined;
 	}
 
 	// 4. Discard whitespace from input.
-	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.discard();
+	while (ts.next().type === TT_WHITESPACE) ts.advance();
+
+	// Step 8's custom-property test, computed early so the value parse can bail.
+	const isCustomProperty = input.startsWith("--", start);
 
 	// 5. Consume a list of component values from input, with nested, and with <semicolon-token> as the stop token, and set decl's value to the result.
-	const value = consumeAListOfComponentValues(ts, TT_SEMICOLON, nested);
-	_setValue(decl, value);
+	//    A nested non-custom declaration bails on a top-level `{` — step 8 would
+	//    reject it and the caller restores its mark, so parsing the block (the
+	//    entire nested-rule body, re-parsed as a qualified rule after the
+	//    restore) would be pure waste.
+	const value = consumeAListOfComponentValues(
+		ts,
+		TT_SEMICOLON,
+		nested,
+		nested && !isCustomProperty
+	);
+	if (value === null) return undefined;
+	// `_setValue` waits until step 9: steps 6-8 still trim / scan the scratch,
+	// and the store consumes it when sealing.
 	_setEnd(decl, ts.next().start);
 
 	// 6. If the last two non-<whitespace-token>s in decl's value are a <delim-token> with the value "!" followed by an <ident-token> with a value that is an ASCII case-insensitive match for "important", remove them from decl's value and set decl's important flag.
 	{
 		let last = value.length - 1;
-		while (last >= 0 && _nType(value[last]) === T_WHITESPACE) last--;
+		while (last >= 0 && _nodeTypeOf(value[last]) === T_WHITESPACE) last--;
 		let prev = last - 1;
-		while (prev >= 0 && _nType(value[prev]) === T_WHITESPACE) prev--;
+		while (prev >= 0 && _nodeTypeOf(value[prev]) === T_WHITESPACE) prev--;
+		// `!` delim first: it's almost always absent, and `_nodeValueOf` allocates
+		// a slice — this order pays it only for genuine `!important` candidates.
 		if (
 			prev >= 0 &&
-			_nType(value[last]) === T_IDENT &&
-			equalsLowerCase(_nValue(value[last]), "important") &&
-			_nType(value[prev]) === T_DELIM &&
-			input.charCodeAt(_nStart(value[prev])) === CC_EXCLAMATION
+			_nodeTypeOf(value[prev]) === T_DELIM &&
+			input.charCodeAt(_nodeStartOf(value[prev])) === CC_EXCLAMATION &&
+			_nodeTypeOf(value[last]) === T_IDENT &&
+			equalsLowerCase(_nodeValueOf(value[last]), "important")
 		) {
 			_setImportant(decl);
 			value.length = prev;
@@ -2747,7 +3053,10 @@ const consumeADeclaration = (ts, nested = false) => {
 	}
 
 	// 7. While the last item in decl's value is a <whitespace-token>, remove that token.
-	while (value.length > 0 && _nType(value[value.length - 1]) === T_WHITESPACE) {
+	while (
+		value.length > 0 &&
+		_nodeTypeOf(value[value.length - 1]) === T_WHITESPACE
+	) {
 		value.pop();
 	}
 
@@ -2755,17 +3064,17 @@ const consumeADeclaration = (ts, nested = false) => {
 	//    Otherwise, if decl's value contains a top-level simple block with an associated token of <{-token>, return nothing.
 	//    (That is, a top-level {}-block is only allowed as the entire value of a non-custom property — for CSS Nesting, `consumeABlocksContents`'s `mark` / `restore a mark` will retry the input as a qualified rule.)
 	//    Otherwise, accept the declaration. (The spec also checks "contains any non-whitespace-tokens at the top level" → return nothing; we keep empty-value declarations because callers — e.g. `@value name:;` — rely on them.)
-	const isCustomProperty = input.startsWith("--", start);
 	if (!isCustomProperty) {
 		for (let i = 0; i < value.length; i++) {
 			const v = value[i];
-			if (_nType(v) === T_SIMPLE_BLOCK && _nToken(v) === "{") {
+			if (_nodeTypeOf(v) === T_SIMPLE_BLOCK && _nodeTokenOf(v) === "{") {
 				return undefined;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	// 9. Return decl.
+	_setValue(decl, value);
 	return decl;
 };
 
@@ -2774,11 +3083,16 @@ const consumeADeclaration = (ts, nested = false) => {
  * @param {TokenStream} ts token stream
  * @param {number=} stopToken token type that terminates the list (left unconsumed)
  * @param {boolean=} nested true inside a `{}` block — a top-level `}` ends the list (left unconsumed)
- * @returns {ComponentValue[]} consumed component values
+ * @param {boolean=} bailOnCurly abort with `null` on a top-level `{` (left unconsumed) — for callers that would reject the list anyway (consume-a-declaration step 8) and restore a mark
+ * @returns {ComponentValue[] | null} consumed component values, or `null` when `bailOnCurly` hit
  */
-const consumeAListOfComponentValues = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
-	/** @type {ComponentValue[]} */
-	const values = [];
+const consumeAListOfComponentValues = (
+	ts,
+	stopToken,
+	nested = false,
+	bailOnCurly = false
+) => {
+	const values = /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_takeList());
 	// Process input
 	for (;;) {
 		const t = ts.next();
@@ -2797,12 +3111,17 @@ const consumeAListOfComponentValues = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 			const closer = consumeATokenAsNode(ts);
 			// Keep unless the type is explicitly marked skip (1); an out-of-range
 			// lookup on a short `skip.types` yields `undefined`, which must not drop.
-			if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nType(closer)] !== 1) values.push(closer);
+			if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nodeTypeOf(closer)] !== 1) {
+				values.push(closer);
+			}
 			continue;
 		}
+		// A top-level `{` dooms the list for a bailing caller — stop before the
+		// whole block is parsed only to be thrown away on the caller's restore.
+		if (bailOnCurly && t.type === TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET) return null;
 		// anything else
 		// Consume a component value from input, and append the result to values.
-		// Skipped leaf types short-circuit before materializing: no SoA slot is
+		// Skipped leaf types short-circuit before materializing: no column slot is
 		// written and no node is built (blocks / functions never skip here).
 		const tt = t.type;
 		if (
@@ -2811,11 +3130,12 @@ const consumeAListOfComponentValues = (ts, stopToken, nested = false) => {
 			!(tt >= TT_LEFT_PARENTHESIS && tt <= TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET) &&
 			_skipTypes[_ttToNodeType[tt]] === 1
 		) {
-			ts.consume();
+			// `t` was just peeked and is a skipped value leaf (never EOF).
+			ts.advance();
 			continue;
 		}
 		const node = consumeAComponentValue(ts, t);
-		if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nType(node)] !== 1) values.push(node);
+		if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nodeTypeOf(node)] !== 1) values.push(node);
 	}
 };
 
@@ -2840,10 +3160,11 @@ const consumeAComponentValue = (ts, t = ts.next()) => {
 	}
 	// anything else
 	// Consume a token from input and return the result. (Asserted: not EOF.)
-	// Inlined `consumeATokenAsNode`: `t` is already the peeked next token, so
-	// advance past it and materialize it directly — one fewer call per leaf
-	// component value (the bulk of the nodes on a large stylesheet).
-	ts.consume();
+	// Inlined `consumeATokenAsNode`: `t` is already the peeked next token (and not
+	// EOF), so `advance` past it and materialize it directly — no redundant
+	// `next()` and one fewer call per leaf component value (the bulk of the nodes
+	// on a large stylesheet).
+	ts.advance();
 	return /** @type {ComponentValue} */ (tokenToNode(t));
 };
 
@@ -2861,11 +3182,11 @@ const consumeASimpleBlock = (ts) => {
 
 	// Let block be a new simple block with its associated token set to the next token and with its value initially set to an empty list.
 	const block = /** @type {SimpleBlock} */ (
-		_mkContainer(T_SIMPLE_BLOCK, open.start, open.end)
+		_makeContainer(T_SIMPLE_BLOCK, open.start, open.end)
 	);
 	_setToken(block, token);
-	const val = _list();
-	_setValue(block, val);
+	// Sealed (`_setValue`) at the return, once complete.
+	const val = _takeList();
 
 	// Discard a token from input.
 	ts.discard();
@@ -2879,6 +3200,7 @@ const consumeASimpleBlock = (ts) => {
 		// Discard a token from input. Return block.
 		if (t.type === TT_EOF || t.type === ending) {
 			ts.discard();
+			_setValue(block, val);
 			_setEnd(block, t.end);
 			return block;
 		}
@@ -2895,16 +3217,15 @@ const consumeASimpleBlock = (ts) => {
  * @returns {FunctionNode | undefined} the consumed function node
  */
 const consumeAFunction = (ts) => {
-	const { input } = ts;
 	// Assert (spec): the next token is a <function-token>.
 	// Consume a token from input, and let function be a new function with its name equal the returned token’s value, and a value set to an empty list.
 	const tFn = ts.consume();
 	const fn = /** @type {FunctionNode} */ (
-		_mkContainer(T_FUNCTION, tFn.start, tFn.end)
+		_makeContainer(T_FUNCTION, tFn.start, tFn.end)
 	);
-	_setName(fn, input.slice(tFn.start, tFn.end - 1), tFn.start, tFn.end - 1);
-	const val = _list();
-	_setValue(fn, val);
+	_setName(fn, tFn.start, tFn.end - 1);
+	// Sealed (`_setValue`) at the return, once complete.
+	const val = _takeList();
 
 	// Process input
 	for (;;) {
@@ -2915,6 +3236,7 @@ const consumeAFunction = (ts) => {
 			// <)-token>
 			// Discard a token from input. Return function.
 			ts.discard();
+			_setValue(fn, val);
 			_setEnd(fn, t.end);
 			return fn;
 		}
@@ -2929,11 +3251,12 @@ const consumeAFunction = (ts) => {
 			!(tt >= TT_LEFT_PARENTHESIS && tt <= TT_LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET) &&
 			_skipTypes[_ttToNodeType[tt]] === 1
 		) {
-			ts.consume();
+			// `t` was just peeked and is a skipped value leaf (never EOF).
+			ts.advance();
 			continue;
 		}
 		const node = consumeAComponentValue(ts, t);
-		if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nType(node)] !== 1) val.push(node);
+		if (!_skipActive || _skipTypes[_nodeTypeOf(node)] !== 1) val.push(node);
 	}
 };
 
@@ -2991,13 +3314,18 @@ const _escapeIdentifier = (str) => {
 	}
 	output = lastFlush === 0 ? str : output + str.slice(lastFlush);
 
-	const firstChar = str.charAt(0);
-
-	if (/^-[-\d]/.test(output)) {
+	// `-` and digits are class 0 (never escaped above), so testing `str`'s lead
+	// char codes is equivalent to regexes over `output` — and keeps the common
+	// nothing-to-do call regex-free.
+	const first = str.charCodeAt(0);
+	if (
+		first === CC_HYPHEN_MINUS &&
+		(str.charCodeAt(1) === CC_HYPHEN_MINUS || _isDigit(str.charCodeAt(1)))
+	) {
 		output = `\\-${output.slice(1)}`;
-	} else if (/\d/.test(firstChar)) {
+	} else if (_isDigit(first)) {
 		// A leading digit becomes `\3<digit> `, another `\HEX ` run to clean up.
-		output = `\\3${firstChar} ${output.slice(1)}`;
+		output = `\\3${str.charAt(0)} ${output.slice(1)}`;
 		needSpaceFix = true;
 	}
 
@@ -3031,7 +3359,6 @@ const _escapeIdentifier = (str) => {
  */
 const gobbleHex = (str, start) => {
 	let hex = "";
-	let spaceTerminated = false;
 
 	for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
 		const code = str.charCodeAt(start + i);
@@ -3040,8 +3367,6 @@ const gobbleHex = (str, start) => {
 			(code >= 48 && code <= 57) ||
 			(code >= 65 && code <= 70) ||
 			(code >= 97 && code <= 102);
-		// https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#consume-escaped-code-point
-		spaceTerminated = code === 32;
 		if (!valid) break;
 		// parseInt below is case-insensitive, so keep the original char.
 		hex += str[start + i];
@@ -3049,6 +3374,16 @@ const gobbleHex = (str, start) => {
 
 	if (hex.length === 0) return undefined;
 
+	// One trailing whitespace terminates the escape, matching the tokenizer's
+	// `_consumeAnEscapedCodePoint` — including after a full 6-digit escape, for
+	// any CSS whitespace (not just space), plus the extra LF of a CRLF pair.
+	// https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#consume-escaped-code-point
+	let consumed = hex.length;
+	const trail = str.charCodeAt(start + hex.length);
+	if (_isWhiteSpace(trail)) {
+		consumed = consumeExtraNewline(trail, str, start + hex.length + 1) - start;
+	}
+
 	const codePoint = Number.parseInt(hex, 16);
 	const isSurrogate = codePoint >= 0xd800 && codePoint <= 0xdfff;
 
@@ -3056,13 +3391,10 @@ const gobbleHex = (str, start) => {
 	// "If this number is zero, or is for a surrogate, or is greater than the maximum allowed code point"
 	// https://drafts.csswg.org/css-syntax/#maximum-allowed-code-point
 	if (isSurrogate || codePoint === 0x0000 || codePoint > 0x10ffff) {
-		return ["�", hex.length + (spaceTerminated ? 1 : 0)];
+		return ["�", consumed];
 	}
 
-	return [
-		String.fromCodePoint(codePoint),
-		hex.length + (spaceTerminated ? 1 : 0)
-	];
+	return [String.fromCodePoint(codePoint), consumed];
 };
 
 /**
@@ -3108,6 +3440,67 @@ const _unescapeIdentifier = (str) => {
 const escapeIdentifier = makeCacheable(_escapeIdentifier);
 const unescapeIdentifier = makeCacheable(_unescapeIdentifier);
 
+// A url-token / url-string value's escaped newlines (`url("im\<newline>g.png")`).
+const STRING_MULTILINE = /\\[\n\r\f]/g;
+// Leading / trailing CSS whitespace inside a quoted url value.
+const TRIM_WHITE_SPACES = /(^[ \t\n\r\f]*|[ \t\n\r\f]*$)/g;
+// One CSS escape: `\` + up to 6 hex digits (+ optional whitespace) or any char.
+const UNESCAPE = /\\([0-9a-f]{1,6}[ \t\n\r\f]?|[\s\S])/gi;
+
+/**
+ * Normalize a url value (a url-token's content or a url string's body) into
+ * the form requests are resolved from: escaped newlines removed (string form),
+ * edge whitespace trimmed, CSS escapes and percent-encoding decoded
+ * (`data:` URIs excepted).
+ * @param {string} str url string
+ * @param {boolean} isString is url wrapped in quotes
+ * @returns {string} normalized url
+ */
+const normalizeUrl = (str, isString) => {
+	// Fast paths: skip the regex engine for the common URL with no escape and
+	// no edge whitespace (e.g. `./img.png`). Each guard is equivalent to the
+	// regex being a no-op.
+	// Remove escaped newlines from a string-token url like `url("im\<newline>g.png")`.
+	if (isString && str.includes("\\")) {
+		str = str.replace(STRING_MULTILINE, "");
+	}
+
+	// Remove unnecessary spaces from `url("   img.png	 ")`
+	if (
+		str.length !== 0 &&
+		(_isWhiteSpace(str.charCodeAt(0)) ||
+			_isWhiteSpace(str.charCodeAt(str.length - 1)))
+	) {
+		str = str.replace(TRIM_WHITE_SPACES, "");
+	}
+
+	// Unescape
+	if (str.includes("\\")) {
+		str = str.replace(UNESCAPE, (match) => {
+			if (match.length > 2) {
+				return String.fromCharCode(Number.parseInt(match.slice(1).trim(), 16));
+			}
+			return match[1];
+		});
+	}
+
+	// Char-code gate so the dominant non-`data:` url skips the regex test.
+	if ((str.charCodeAt(0) | 0x20) === CC_LOWER_D && /^data:/i.test(str)) {
+		return str;
+	}
+
+	if (str.includes("%")) {
+		// Convert `url('%2E/img.png')` -> `url('./img.png')`
+		try {
+			str = decodeURIComponent(str);
+		} catch (_err) {
+			// Ignore
+		}
+	}
+
+	return str;
+};
+
 // CSS-typed views over the generic visitor machinery (`util/SourceProcessor`),
 // re-exported so consumers keep importing them from this module.
 /**
@@ -3151,6 +3544,148 @@ const TOP_LEVEL_CONSUMERS = {
  * @property {boolean=} atRulePrelude drop at-rule preludes — the at-rule and its block are still produced (default false)
  */
 
+// Per-parse walk state in module slots (same pattern as `_skip*`) so the walk
+// functions below are module-level constants: one function identity across
+// parses keeps the recursive per-node call sites monomorphic and drops the
+// per-parse closure allocations.
+/** @typedef {import("../util/SourceProcessor").CompiledVisitorBucket<CssPath>} CompiledVisitorBucket */
+/** @type {CompiledVisitorMap} */
+let _visitors = /** @type {CompiledVisitorMap} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ ([]));
+let _recurseBlocks = true;
+/** @type {CompiledVisitorBucket | undefined} */
+let _commentBucket;
+
+// Comments reach the visitor map through `NodeType.Comment` instead of a
+// side callback. They fire during tokenization — in source order among
+// comments, not interleaved with the node walk — on a transient store node so
+// `A.start`/`end`/`loc`/`source` work. No comment visitor → no callback →
+// the tokenizer skips comments with zero overhead.
+/** @type {(input: string, start: number, end: number) => number} */
+const _grammarOnComment = (_src, start, end) => {
+	const node = _makeLeaf(T_COMMENT, start, end);
+	_currentNode = node;
+	_currentParent = null;
+	_currentIndex = 0;
+	const bucket = /** @type {CompiledVisitorBucket} */ (_commentBucket);
+	const e = bucket.enter;
+	for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
+	const x = bucket.exit;
+	for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
+	return end;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Walk a component-value subtree; children are already materialized. Fetches
+ * the node's visitor bucket once (reused for enter + exit) and uses index
+ * loops — `for…of` would allocate an iterator per node on this hot path.
+ * @param {Node} node component-value root
+ * @param {Node | null} parent enclosing node
+ * @param {number} index node's index within its sibling list
+ */
+const _walkValue = (node, parent, index) => {
+	const ty = _types[_nodeIndex(node)];
+	const b = _visitors[ty];
+	let skip = false;
+	if (b !== undefined && b.enter.length !== 0) {
+		_walkSkip = false;
+		_currentNode = node;
+		_currentParent = parent;
+		_currentIndex = index;
+		const e = b.enter;
+		for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
+		skip = _walkSkip;
+		_walkSkip = false;
+	}
+	if (!skip && (ty === T_FUNCTION || ty === T_SIMPLE_BLOCK)) {
+		const i0 = _nodeIndex(node);
+		const vs = _listStarts[i0];
+		const ve = vs + _listLens[i0];
+		for (let i = vs; i < ve; i++) _walkValue(_nodeRef(_flat[i]), node, i - vs);
+	}
+	if (b !== undefined) {
+		// Rebind: descending into children moved the path.
+		_currentNode = node;
+		_currentParent = parent;
+		_currentIndex = index;
+		const x = b.exit;
+		for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
+	}
+};
+
+/**
+ * Walk a structural subtree; an at-rule / qualified-rule's block was parsed
+ * eagerly (§5.4.4), so its `value` holds the nested rules / declarations.
+ * @param {Node} node structural-tree root
+ * @param {Node | null} parent enclosing node
+ * @param {number} index node's index within its sibling list (declarations and child rules index independently)
+ */
+const _walkRule = (node, parent, index) => {
+	const i0 = _nodeIndex(node);
+	const ty = _types[i0];
+	const b = _visitors[ty];
+	let skip = false;
+	if (b !== undefined && b.enter.length !== 0) {
+		_walkSkip = false;
+		_currentNode = node;
+		_currentParent = parent;
+		_currentIndex = index;
+		const e = b.enter;
+		for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
+		skip = _walkSkip;
+		_walkSkip = false;
+	}
+	if (!skip) {
+		if (ty === T_AT_RULE || ty === T_QUALIFIED_RULE) {
+			const ps = _listStarts[i0];
+			const pe = ps + _listLens[i0];
+			for (let i = ps; i < pe; i++) {
+				_walkValue(_nodeRef(_flat[i]), node, i - ps);
+			}
+			if (_recurseBlocks) {
+				// Declarations then child rules — downstream consumers don't need them strictly interleaved in source order.
+				const decls = _declarationLists[i0];
+				if (decls) {
+					for (let i = 0; i < decls.length; i++) _walkRule(decls[i], node, i);
+				}
+				const ch = _childRuleLists[i0];
+				if (ch) for (let i = 0; i < ch.length; i++) _walkRule(ch[i], node, i);
+			}
+		} else if (ty === T_DECLARATION) {
+			const vs = _listStarts[i0];
+			const ve = vs + _listLens[i0];
+			for (let i = vs; i < ve; i++) {
+				_walkValue(_nodeRef(_flat[i]), node, i - vs);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if (b !== undefined) {
+		// Rebind: descending into children moved the path.
+		_currentNode = node;
+		_currentParent = parent;
+		_currentIndex = index;
+		const x = b.exit;
+		for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
+	}
+};
+
+/**
+ * The `grammar` streaming sink: walk one top-level node, then recycle the
+ * buffers for the next.
+ * @param {Rule | Declaration} node top-level node
+ */
+const _walkTopLevel = (node) => {
+	_walkRule(node, null, 0);
+	if (_nodeCount > _peak) _peak = _nodeCount;
+	if (_flatTop > _flatPeak) _flatPeak = _flatTop;
+	_nodeCount = 0;
+	_flatTop = 0;
+};
+
+// The store buffers grow to the largest single top-level rule ever parsed and
+// live at module level; above this capacity they are re-shrunk after a parse
+// so one pathological rule can't pin megabytes for the process lifetime.
+const _SHRINK_CAPACITY = 65536;
+
 /**
  * The CSS `SourceProcessor` grammar: consume top-level rules one at a time
  * (§5.4.1) and walk each immediately, firing `enter` / `exit` in source order
@@ -3163,136 +3698,61 @@ const TOP_LEVEL_CONSUMERS = {
  */
 const grammar = (input, visitors, options) => {
 	const locConverter = options.locConverter || new LocConverter(input);
-	useSoaBackend(input, locConverter);
+	_setupParse(input, locConverter);
 	const skip = options.skip;
 	_skipTypes = (skip && skip.types) || _NO_SKIP_TYPES;
 	_skipActive = _skipTypes !== _NO_SKIP_TYPES;
 	_skipSelectorPrelude = skip !== undefined && skip.selectorPrelude === true;
 	_skipAtRulePrelude = skip !== undefined && skip.atRulePrelude === true;
-	const recurseBlocks = options.recurseBlocks !== false;
-
-	// Comments reach the visitor map through `NodeType.Comment` instead of a
-	// side callback. They fire during tokenization — in source order among
-	// comments, not interleaved with the node walk — on a transient SoA node so
-	// `A.start`/`end`/`loc`/`source` work. No comment visitor → no callback →
-	// the tokenizer skips comments with zero overhead.
-	const commentBucket = visitors[T_COMMENT];
-	const onComment =
-		commentBucket === undefined
-			? undefined
-			: /** @type {(input: string, start: number, end: number) => number} */ (
-					(_input, start, end) => {
-						const node = _soaAlloc(T_COMMENT, start, end);
-						_curNode = node;
-						_curParent = null;
-						const e = commentBucket.enter;
-						for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
-						const x = commentBucket.exit;
-						for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
-						return end;
-					}
-				);
-
-	/**
-	 * Walk a component-value subtree; children are already materialized. Fetches
-	 * the node's visitor bucket once (reused for enter + exit) and uses index
-	 * loops — `for…of` would allocate an iterator per node on this hot path.
-	 * @param {Node} node component-value root
-	 * @param {Node | null} parent enclosing node
-	 */
-	const walkValue = (node, parent) => {
-		const ty = _soaTy[_ix(node)];
-		const b = visitors[ty];
-		let skip = false;
-		if (b !== undefined && b.enter.length !== 0) {
-			_walkSkip = false;
-			_curNode = node;
-			_curParent = parent;
-			const e = b.enter;
-			for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
-			skip = _walkSkip;
-			_walkSkip = false;
-		}
-		if (!skip && (ty === T_FUNCTION || ty === T_SIMPLE_BLOCK)) {
-			const v = /** @type {Node[]} */ (_soaL0[_ix(node)]);
-			for (let i = 0; i < v.length; i++) walkValue(v[i], node);
-		}
-		if (b !== undefined) {
-			// Rebind: descending into children moved the path.
-			_curNode = node;
-			_curParent = parent;
-			const x = b.exit;
-			for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
-		}
-	};
-
-	/**
-	 * Walk a structural subtree; an at-rule / qualified-rule's block was parsed
-	 * eagerly (§5.4.4), so its `value` holds the nested rules / declarations.
-	 * @param {Node} node structural-tree root
-	 * @param {Node | null} parent enclosing node
-	 */
-	const walkRule = (node, parent) => {
-		const i0 = _ix(node);
-		const ty = _soaTy[i0];
-		const b = visitors[ty];
-		let skip = false;
-		if (b !== undefined && b.enter.length !== 0) {
-			_walkSkip = false;
-			_curNode = node;
-			_curParent = parent;
-			const e = b.enter;
-			for (let i = 0; i < e.length; i++) e[i](A);
-			skip = _walkSkip;
-			_walkSkip = false;
-		}
-		if (!skip) {
-			if (ty === T_AT_RULE || ty === T_QUALIFIED_RULE) {
-				const p = /** @type {Node[]} */ (_soaL0[i0]);
-				for (let i = 0; i < p.length; i++) walkValue(p[i], node);
-				if (recurseBlocks) {
-					// Declarations then child rules — downstream consumers don't need them strictly interleaved in source order.
-					const decls = _soaL1[i0];
-					if (decls) {
-						for (let i = 0; i < decls.length; i++) walkRule(decls[i], node);
-					}
-					const ch = _soaL2[i0];
-					if (ch) for (let i = 0; i < ch.length; i++) walkRule(ch[i], node);
-				}
-			} else if (ty === T_DECLARATION) {
-				const v = /** @type {Node[]} */ (_soaL0[i0]);
-				for (let i = 0; i < v.length; i++) walkValue(v[i], node);
-			}
-		}
-		if (b !== undefined) {
-			// Rebind: descending into children moved the path.
-			_curNode = node;
-			_curParent = parent;
-			const x = b.exit;
-			for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) x[i](A);
-		}
-	};
+	_recurseBlocks = options.recurseBlocks !== false;
+	_visitors = visitors;
+	_commentBucket = visitors[T_COMMENT];
 
 	// Stream each top-level node (selected by `as`) to the walker the moment it's
 	// consumed, rather than collecting them first — so the whole AST is never
 	// held at once; peak heap is ~one top-level node's subtree.
-	const ts = new TokenStream(input, 0, locConverter, onComment);
+	const ts = new TokenStream(
+		input,
+		0,
+		locConverter,
+		_commentBucket === undefined ? undefined : _grammarOnComment
+	);
 	const consume =
 		TOP_LEVEL_CONSUMERS[options.as || "stylesheet"] ||
 		consumeAStylesheetsContents;
 	try {
-		consume(ts, (node) => {
-			walkRule(node, null);
-			_soaN = 0;
-		});
+		consume(ts, _walkTopLevel);
 	} finally {
-		// Drop the module-level SoA references so the last parsed source (and
-		// its LocConverter / child lists) don't stay alive between parses.
-		_soaInput = "";
-		_soaLC = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
-		_soaL0.length = 0;
-		_soaL1.length = 0;
-		_soaL2.length = 0;
+		// Drop the module-level column references so the last parsed source (and
+		// its LocConverter / child lists / visitors) don't stay alive between
+		// parses.
+		_input = "";
+		_locConverter = /** @type {LocConverter} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (null));
+		_declarationLists.length = 0;
+		_childRuleLists.length = 0;
+		_flatTop = 0;
+		_listPool.length = 0;
+		if (_flat.length > _SHRINK_CAPACITY) {
+			_flatGrowHint = _flatPeak;
+			_flat = new Int32Array(0);
+		}
+		_visitors = /** @type {CompiledVisitorMap} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ ([]));
+		_commentBucket = undefined;
+		if (_capacity > _SHRINK_CAPACITY) {
+			// +1: node ids are 1-based and grow fires at `id >= capacity`.
+			_growHint = _peak + 1;
+			_capacity = 0;
+			_types = new Uint8Array(0);
+			_starts = new Int32Array(0);
+			_ends = new Int32Array(0);
+			_aux0 = new Int32Array(0);
+			_aux1 = new Int32Array(0);
+			_flags = new Uint8Array(0);
+			_listStarts = new Int32Array(0);
+			_listLens = new Int32Array(0);
+		}
+		_peak = 0;
+		_flatPeak = 0;
 	}
 };
 
@@ -3340,36 +3800,56 @@ const buildSkipSet = (nodeTypes) => {
  */
 /* eslint-enable jsdoc/require-template */
 
+// A fresh (safely retainable) array view of a node's flat content span —
+// visitors that read `A.children` / `A.prelude` may keep the result.
+/** @type {(n: Node) => Node[]} */
+const _materializeList = (n) => {
+	const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+	const start = _listStarts[i];
+	const len = _listLens[i];
+	/** @type {Node[]} */
+	const out = [];
+	for (let k = 0; k < len; k++) out.push(_nodeRef(_flat[start + k]));
+	return out;
+};
+
 // Babel's `path.skip()`, children-only: set by `A.skipChildren()` during an
 // `enter` dispatch, consumed by the walk.
 let _walkSkip = false;
 // The walk's current position (`A.node` / `A.parent` read these; module-level
 // so the accessor methods' defaults avoid self-referential `this` typing).
 /** @type {Node} */
-let _curNode = /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (0));
+let _currentNode = /** @type {Node} */ (/** @type {unknown} */ (0));
 /** @type {Node | null} */
-let _curParent = null;
+let _currentParent = null;
+// Index of the current node within its sibling list (a rule body's declarations
+// and child rules are separate lists, so each indexes from 0 independently).
+let _currentIndex = 0;
 
 // AST field-access seam. Every AST-node field read by `CssParser` goes through
-// one of these accessors so the node representation can change underneath the
-// consumer without touching it. Today they are backed by the `Node` / `Token` /
-// `Container` objects (`n` is a node); the Struct-of-Arrays migration rewrites
-// the bodies to index typed arrays (`n` becomes an integer node id) without any
-// consumer edit. `value` is the leaf-token string; container child lists are
-// `children` / `prelude` / `declarations` / `childRules`.
+// one of these accessors (`n` is an integer node id into the columns), so
+// the storage stays behind the accessor without any consumer edit. `value` is
+// the leaf-token string; container child lists are `children` / `prelude` /
+// `declarations` / `childRules`.
 const A = {
 	// === path position (rebound by the walk before every visitor call) ===
 	/**
 	 * @returns {Node} current node — only valid during a visitor callback
 	 */
 	get node() {
-		return _curNode;
+		return _currentNode;
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @returns {Node | null} enclosing node (null = a top-level node)
 	 */
 	get parent() {
-		return _curParent;
+		return _currentParent;
+	},
+	/**
+	 * @returns {number} index of the current node within its sibling list (0 for a top-level node) — only valid during a visitor callback
+	 */
+	get index() {
+		return _currentIndex;
 	},
 	/** Stop the walk descending into the current node (enter only). */
 	skipChildren() {
@@ -3380,42 +3860,42 @@ const A = {
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} node type
 	 */
-	type(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaTy[_ix(n)];
+	type(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _types[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} start offset
 	 */
-	start(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaSt[_ix(n)];
+	start(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _starts[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} end offset
 	 */
-	end(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaEn[_ix(n)];
+	end(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _ends[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {[number, number]} start / end offsets
 	 */
-	range(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		return [_soaSt[i], _soaEn[i]];
+	range(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		return [_starts[i], _ends[i]];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {{ start: { line: number, column: number }, end: { line: number, column: number } }} source location
 	 */
-	loc(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		const lc = _soaLC;
-		const s = lc.get(_soaSt[i]);
+	loc(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		const lc = _locConverter;
+		const s = lc.get(_starts[i]);
 		const sl = s.line;
 		const sc = s.column;
-		const e = lc.get(_soaEn[i]);
+		const e = lc.get(_ends[i]);
 		return {
 			start: { line: sl, column: sc },
 			end: { line: e.line, column: e.column }
@@ -3425,25 +3905,25 @@ const A = {
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} raw source slice
 	 */
-	source(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		return _soaInput.slice(_soaSt[i], _soaEn[i]);
+	source(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		return _input.slice(_starts[i], _ends[i]);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} raw token value
 	 */
-	value(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaValueOf(_ix(n));
+	value(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _valueOf(_nodeIndex(n));
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} unescaped token value
 	 */
-	unescaped(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		const v = _soaValueOf(i);
-		return _soaTy[i] === T_STRING
+	unescaped(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		const v = _valueOf(i);
+		return _types[i] === T_STRING
 			? unescapeIdentifier(v.slice(1, -1))
 			: unescapeIdentifier(v);
 	},
@@ -3451,11 +3931,11 @@ const A = {
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} hash / numeric type flag
 	 */
-	typeFlag(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		if (_soaTy[i] === T_HASH) {
-			const input = _soaInput;
-			const p = _soaSt[i] + 1;
+	typeFlag(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		if (_types[i] === T_HASH) {
+			const input = _input;
+			const p = _starts[i] + 1;
 			return _ifThreeCodePointsWouldStartAnIdentSequence(
 				input,
 				p,
@@ -3466,139 +3946,162 @@ const A = {
 				? "id"
 				: "unrestricted";
 		}
-		const v = _soaValueOf(i);
+		const v = _valueOf(i);
 		return _typeFlagOf(
-			_soaTy[i] === T_DIMENSION ? v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)) : v
+			_types[i] === T_DIMENSION ? v.slice(0, _consumeANumber(v, 0)) : v
 		);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} url content start offset
 	 */
-	contentStart(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaA0[_ix(n)];
+	contentStart(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _aux0[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} url content end offset
 	 */
-	contentEnd(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaA1[_ix(n)];
+	contentEnd(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _aux1[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} rule / declaration / function name
 	 */
-	name(n = _curNode) {
-		const i = _ix(n);
-		return _soaTy[i] === T_AT_RULE
-			? _soaInput.slice(_soaSt[i] + 1, _soaA0[i])
-			: _soaInput.slice(_soaSt[i], _soaA0[i]);
+	name(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		return _types[i] === T_AT_RULE
+			? _input.slice(_starts[i] + 1, _aux0[i])
+			: _input.slice(_starts[i], _aux0[i]);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} name start offset
 	 */
-	nameStart(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaSt[_ix(n)];
+	nameStart(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _starts[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} name end offset
 	 */
-	nameEnd(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaA0[_ix(n)];
+	nameEnd(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _aux0[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {string} unescaped name
 	 */
-	unescapedName(n = _curNode) {
+	unescapedName(n = _currentNode) {
 		return unescapeIdentifier(A.name(n));
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {ComponentValue[]} function / block children
 	 */
-	children(n = _curNode) {
-		return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_soaL0[_ix(n)]);
+	children(n = _currentNode) {
+		return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_materializeList(n));
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {ComponentValue[]} rule prelude
 	 */
-	prelude(n = _curNode) {
-		return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_soaL0[_ix(n)]);
+	prelude(n = _currentNode) {
+		return /** @type {ComponentValue[]} */ (_materializeList(n));
+	},
+	/**
+	 * @param {Node=} n node
+	 * @returns {number} number of children (value / prelude) without materializing the list
+	 */
+	childCount(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _listLens[_nodeIndex(n)];
+	},
+	/**
+	 * @param {Node} n node
+	 * @param {number} i child index (`0 <= i < childCount(n)`)
+	 * @returns {ComponentValue} i-th child (value / prelude) without materializing the list
+	 */
+	childAt(n, i) {
+		return /** @type {ComponentValue} */ (
+			_nodeRef(_flat[_listStarts[_nodeIndex(n)] + i])
+		);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {Declaration[] | null} block declarations
 	 */
-	declarations(n = _curNode) {
-		return /** @type {Declaration[] | null} */ (_soaL1[_ix(n)]);
+	declarations(n = _currentNode) {
+		// `_makeContainer` only populates this slot for rules; a non-rule node
+		// reads `undefined`, normalized to `null` to keep the documented contract.
+		return /** @type {Declaration[] | null} */ (
+			_declarationLists[_nodeIndex(n)] || null
+		);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {Rule[] | null} block child rules
 	 */
-	childRules(n = _curNode) {
-		return /** @type {Rule[] | null} */ (_soaL2[_ix(n)]);
+	childRules(n = _currentNode) {
+		return /** @type {Rule[] | null} */ (
+			_childRuleLists[_nodeIndex(n)] || null
+		);
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} block start offset
 	 */
-	blockStart(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaA1[_ix(n)];
+	blockStart(n = _currentNode) {
+		return _aux1[_nodeIndex(n)];
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {number} block end offset
 	 */
-	blockEnd(n = _curNode) {
-		return _soaA2[_ix(n)];
+	blockEnd(n = _currentNode) {
+		const i = _nodeIndex(n);
+		return _aux1[i] !== -1 ? _ends[i] : -1;
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {boolean} `!important` flag
 	 */
-	important(n = _curNode) {
-		return (_soaFl[_ix(n)] & 1) !== 0;
+	important(n = _currentNode) {
+		return (_flags[_nodeIndex(n)] & 1) !== 0;
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node=} n node
 	 * @returns {SimpleBlockToken} block opening token
 	 */
-	blockToken(n = _curNode) {
-		return /** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (_soaInput[_soaSt[_ix(n)]]);
+	blockToken(n = _currentNode) {
+		return /** @type {SimpleBlockToken} */ (_input[_starts[_nodeIndex(n)]]);
 	},
 	// Writers — `CssParser` rewrites a rule's end / block-end when it folds an
-	// inline ICSS `:import` / `:export` body into a single dependency. The
-	// node stays explicit here: writes should never be implicit on position.
+	// inline ICSS `:import` / `:export` body into a single dependency. A block
+	// rule's `blockEnd` is its `end`, so `setBlockEnd` writes the same `end` slot.
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node} n node
 	 * @param {number} v new end offset
 	 */
 	setEnd(n, v) {
-		_soaEn[_ix(n)] = v;
+		_ends[_nodeIndex(n)] = v;
 	},
 	/**
 	 * @param {Node} n node
 	 * @param {number} v new block end offset
 	 */
 	setBlockEnd(n, v) {
-		_soaA2[_ix(n)] = v;
+		_ends[_nodeIndex(n)] = v;
 	}
 };
 
-// The two AST runtime classes — `Node` and its sole subclass `Token` (the
-// other node shapes are `@typedef`s over `Node`, exported as types only). Plus
-// the full CSS-Syntax-3 §5.3 `parseA*` entry-point surface, `consumeASimpleBlock`
-// (the one §5.4 algorithm exposed as a byte entry point for `CssParser`), the
-// `TokenStream` (so callers can pass a pre-built stream to any `parseA*`), and
-// the `escape` / `unescapeIdentifier` string utils.
+// The AST node shapes (`Node`, `Token`, and the container typedefs) are types
+// only — nodes are integer ids into the store, surfaced by the `A` visitor
+// accessor and the `parseA*` readers. Runtime exports: the `A` accessor, the
+// full CSS-Syntax-3 §5.3 `parseA*` entry-point surface, the `TokenStream` (so
+// callers can pass a pre-built stream to any `parseA*`), and the `escape` /
+// `unescapeIdentifier` string utils.
 module.exports.A = A;
-module.exports.Node = Node;
 module.exports.NodeType = NodeType;
 module.exports.SourceProcessor = SourceProcessor;
 module.exports.TT_AT_KEYWORD = TT_AT_KEYWORD;
@@ -3627,11 +4130,15 @@ module.exports.TT_SEMICOLON = TT_SEMICOLON;
 module.exports.TT_STRING = TT_STRING;
 module.exports.TT_URL = TT_URL;
 module.exports.TT_WHITESPACE = TT_WHITESPACE;
-module.exports.Token = Token;
 module.exports.TokenStream = TokenStream;
 module.exports.buildSkipSet = buildSkipSet;
 module.exports.equalsLowerCase = equalsLowerCase;
 module.exports.escapeIdentifier = escapeIdentifier;
+module.exports.isDashedIdentifier = isDashedIdentifier;
+// CSS Syntax §4.2 "whitespace" (space / tab / newline / CR / FF) — the
+// tokenizer's whitespace class, exported under the spec's name.
+module.exports.isWhitespace = _isWhiteSpace;
+module.exports.normalizeUrl = normalizeUrl;
 module.exports.parseABlocksContents = parseABlocksContents;
 module.exports.parseACommaSeparatedListOfComponentValues =
 	parseACommaSeparatedListOfComponentValues;
@@ -3641,5 +4148,8 @@ module.exports.parseAListOfComponentValues = parseAListOfComponentValues;
 module.exports.parseARule = parseARule;
 module.exports.parseAStylesheet = parseAStylesheet;
 module.exports.parseAStylesheetsContents = parseAStylesheetsContents;
+module.exports.rangeEquals = rangeEquals;
+module.exports.rangeEqualsLowerCase = rangeEqualsLowerCase;
 module.exports.readToken = readToken;
+module.exports.toLowerCaseIfNeeded = toLowerCaseIfNeeded;
 module.exports.unescapeIdentifier = unescapeIdentifier;