# selector-max-compound-selectors

Limit the number of compound selectors in a selector.

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
   div .bar[data-val] > a.baz + .boom > #lorem {}
/* ↑   ↑                ↑       ↑       ↑
   ↑   ↑                ↑       ↑       ↑
  Lv1 Lv2              Lv3     Lv4     Lv5  -- these are compound selectors */
```

A [compound selector](https://www.w3.org/TR/selectors4/#compound) is a chain of one or more simple (tag, class, ID, universal, attribute) selectors. If there is more than one compound selector in a complete selector, they will be separated by combinators (e.g. ``, `+`, `>`). One reason why you might want to limit the number of compound selectors is described in the [SMACSS book](http://smacss.com/book/applicability).

This rule resolves nested selectors before counting the depth of a selector. Each selector in a [selector list](https://www.w3.org/TR/selectors4/#selector-list) is evaluated separately.

`:not()` is considered one compound selector irrespective to the complexity of the selector inside it. The rule _does_ process that inner selector, but does so separately, independent of the main selector.

The [`message` secondary option](../../../docs/user-guide/configure.md#message) can accept the arguments of this rule.

## Options

`int`: Maximum compound selectors allowed.

For example, with `3`:

The following patterns are considered problems:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
.foo .bar .baz .lorem {}
```

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
.foo .baz {
  & > .bar .lorem {}
}
```

The following patterns are _not_ considered problems:

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
div {}
```

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
.foo div {}
```

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
#foo #bar > #baz {}
```

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
```css
.foo + div :not (a b ~ c) {} /* `a b ~ c` is inside `:not()`, so it is evaluated separately */
```
