diff --git a/R/dplyr.R b/R/dplyr.R
index b8d9e38f5..488e7f3e8 100644
--- a/R/dplyr.R
+++ b/R/dplyr.R
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ left_join <- function(x, y, by, ...) {
     by_x <- by_y <- by
   }
   res <- as_tibble(merge(x, y, by.x = by_x, by.y = by_y, all.x = TRUE, ...))
-  res <- arrange(res, line1, col1, line2, col2, parent)
+  res <- arrange(res, pos_id)
 
   # dplyr::left_join set unknown list columns to NULL, merge sets them
   # to NA
diff --git a/R/initialize.R b/R/initialize.R
index ee7fd3393..54dbf276d 100644
--- a/R/initialize.R
+++ b/R/initialize.R
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ initialize_attributes <- function(pd_flat) {
   init_pd <-
     initialize_newlines(pd_flat) %>%
     initialize_spaces() %>%
-    remove_line_col() %>%
+    remove_unused_attributes() %>%
     initialize_multi_line() %>%
     initialize_indention_ref_id() %>%
     initialize_indent() %>%
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ initialize_spaces <- function(pd_flat) {
   pd_flat
 }
 
-remove_line_col <- function(pd_flat) {
-  pd_flat[c("line1", "line2", "col1", "col2")] <- rep(list(NULL), 4)
+remove_unused_attributes <- function(pd_flat) {
+  pd_flat[c("line1", "line2", "col1", "col2", "parent")] <- rep(list(NULL), 4)
   pd_flat
 }
 
diff --git a/R/rules-other.R b/R/rules-other.R
index b7a06a228..a413f2133 100644
--- a/R/rules-other.R
+++ b/R/rules-other.R
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ add_brackets_in_pipe_one <- function(pd, pos) {
     new_pos_ids <- create_pos_ids(pd$child[[next_non_comment]], 1, after = TRUE, n = 2)
     new_pd <- create_tokens(
       tokens = c("'('", "')'"), texts = c("(", ")"), pos_ids = new_pos_ids,
-      lag_newlines = rep(0, 2), parents = create_parent_id(pd))
+      lag_newlines = rep(0, 2))
     pd$child[[next_non_comment]] <-
       bind_rows(pd$child[[next_non_comment]], new_pd) %>%
       arrange(pos_id)
diff --git a/R/token-create.R b/R/token-create.R
index c7b3ccfef..12e45af00 100644
--- a/R/token-create.R
+++ b/R/token-create.R
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ create_tokens <- function(tokens,
                           lag_newlines = 0,
                           spaces = 0,
                           pos_ids,
-                          parents,
                           token_before = NA,
                           token_after = NA,
                           indention_ref_ids = NA,
@@ -41,7 +40,6 @@ create_tokens <- function(tokens,
     lag_newlines = lag_newlines,
     newlines = lead(lag_newlines),
     pos_id = pos_ids,
-    parent = parents,
     token_before = token_before,
     token_after = token_after,
     id = NA,
@@ -110,24 +108,6 @@ validate_new_pos_ids <- function(new_ids, after) {
   if (any(abs(new_ids - ref) > 0.5)) stop("too many ids assigned")
 }
 
-#' Find the parent of a nest
-#'
-#' It is any id of the nest (nested parse table at one level
-#' of nesting) since by definition, all tokens on a nest have the same id.
-#' @param pd_nested A nested parse table.
-find_parent <- function(pd_nested) {
-  pd_nested$parent[1]
-}
-
-#' Create the parent id for a new token
-#'
-#' Just wraps [find_parent()], since it can also be used to obtain the parent id
-#' that is needed to create a new token in this nest.
-#' @inheritParams find_parent
-create_parent_id <- function(pd_nested) {
-  find_parent(pd_nested)
-}
-
 #' Wrap an expression in curly braces
 #'
 #' Adds curly braces to an expression (represented as a parse table) if there
@@ -146,20 +126,17 @@ wrap_expr_in_curly <- function(pd, stretch_out = FALSE) {
   expr <- create_tokens(
     "expr", "",
     pos_ids = create_pos_ids(pd, 1, after = FALSE),
-    parents = create_parent_id(pd),
     child = pd,
     terminal = FALSE
   )
   opening <- create_tokens(
     "'{'", "{",
-    pos_ids = create_pos_ids(expr, 1, after = FALSE),
-    parents = NA
+    pos_ids = create_pos_ids(pd, 1, after = FALSE)
   )
 
   closing <- create_tokens(
     "'}'", "}", spaces = 1, lag_newlines = as.integer(stretch_out),
-    pos_ids = create_pos_ids(pd, nrow(pd), after = TRUE),
-    parents = NA
+    pos_ids = create_pos_ids(pd, nrow(pd), after = TRUE)
   )
 
   bind_rows(opening, expr, closing)
diff --git a/man/apply_transformers.Rd b/man/apply_transformers.Rd
index 2acc6819c..22e1b53bd 100644
--- a/man/apply_transformers.Rd
+++ b/man/apply_transformers.Rd
@@ -12,11 +12,21 @@ apply_transformers(pd_nested, transformers)
 \item{transformers}{A list of \emph{named} transformer functions}
 }
 \description{
-Depending on whether \code{transformers} contains functions to modify the
-line break information, the column \code{multi_line} is updated (after
-the line break information is modified) and
-the rest of the transformers is applied afterwards, or (if line break
-information is not to be modified), all transformers are applied in one
-step. The former requires two pre visits and one post visit, the latter
-only one pre visit.
+The column \code{multi_line} is updated (after the line break information is
+modified) and the rest of the transformers are applied afterwards,
+The former requires two pre visits and one post visit.
+}
+\details{
+The order of the transformations is:
+\itemize{
+\item Initialization (must be first).
+\item Line breaks (must be before spacing due to indention).
+\item Update of newline and multi-line attributes (must not change afterwards,
+hence line breaks must be modified first).
+\item spacing rules (must be after line-breaks and updating newlines and
+multi-line).
+\item token manipulation / replacement (is last since adding and removing tokens
+will invalidate columns token_after and token_before).
+\item Update indention reference (must be after line breaks).
+}
 }
diff --git a/man/create_parent_id.Rd b/man/create_parent_id.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index 4e329d95f..000000000
--- a/man/create_parent_id.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/token-create.R
-\name{create_parent_id}
-\alias{create_parent_id}
-\title{Create the parent id for a new token}
-\usage{
-create_parent_id(pd_nested)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{pd_nested}{A nested parse table.}
-}
-\description{
-Just wraps \code{\link[=find_parent]{find_parent()}}, since it can also be used to obtain the parent id
-that is needed to create a new token in this nest.
-}
diff --git a/man/create_tokens.Rd b/man/create_tokens.Rd
index aff62f8aa..48bbee6c5 100644
--- a/man/create_tokens.Rd
+++ b/man/create_tokens.Rd
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 \alias{create_tokens}
 \title{Create a terminal token}
 \usage{
-create_tokens(tokens, texts, lag_newlines = 0, spaces = 0, pos_ids, parents,
+create_tokens(tokens, texts, lag_newlines = 0, spaces = 0, pos_ids,
   token_before = NA, token_after = NA, indention_ref_ids = NA,
   indents = 0, terminal = TRUE, child = NULL)
 }
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ tokens.}
 \item{pos_ids}{Character vector with positional id corresponding to the
 tokens.}
 
-\item{parents}{Vector with \code{id} corresponding to the
-parent of the tokens we want to create.}
-
 \item{token_before}{Character vector corresponding to the columns
 \code{token_before}.}
 
@@ -39,6 +36,9 @@ corresponding to the tokens.}
 not.}
 
 \item{child}{The children of the tokens.}
+
+\item{parents}{Vector with \code{id} corresponding to the
+parent of the tokens we want to create.}
 }
 \description{
 Creates a terminal token represented as (a row of) a parse table.
diff --git a/man/find_parent.Rd b/man/find_parent.Rd
deleted file mode 100644
index 9bd832aae..000000000
--- a/man/find_parent.Rd
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/token-create.R
-\name{find_parent}
-\alias{find_parent}
-\title{Find the parent of a nest}
-\usage{
-find_parent(pd_nested)
-}
-\arguments{
-\item{pd_nested}{A nested parse table.}
-}
-\description{
-It is any id of the nest (nested parse table at one level
-of nesting) since by definition, all tokens on a nest have the same id.
-}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-create_token.R b/tests/testthat/test-create_token.R
index 2eea633a6..d733e592b 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-create_token.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-create_token.R
@@ -3,23 +3,22 @@ context("token insertion")
 test_that("can create a token that has relevant columns", {
   pd_names <- c(
     "token", "text", "short", "lag_newlines", "newlines", "pos_id",
-    "parent", "token_before", "token_after", "id", "terminal", "internal",
+    "token_before", "token_after", "id", "terminal", "internal",
     "spaces", "multi_line", "indention_ref_id", "indent", "child"
   )
 
   expect_equal(
-    names(create_tokens("'{'", "{", pos_ids = 3, parents = 99)),
+    names(create_tokens("'{'", "{", pos_ids = 3)),
     pd_names
   )
 })
 
 test_that("pos_id can be created", {
-  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3, parents = 0)
+  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3)
   new_id <- create_pos_ids(pd, 1L, by = 0.4)
-  parents <- create_parent_id(pd)
   expect_error(
     bind_rows(
-      create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id, parents = parents),
+      create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id),
       pd
     ),
   NA
@@ -28,23 +27,21 @@ test_that("pos_id can be created", {
 
 
 test_that("unambiguous pos_id won't be created (down)", {
-  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3, parents = 0)
+  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3)
   new_id <- create_pos_ids(pd, 1L, by = 0.4)
-  parents <- create_parent_id(pd)
   pd <- bind_rows(
-    create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id, parents = parents),
+    create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id),
     pd
   )
   expect_error(create_pos_id(pd, 1L, by = 0.4))
 })
 
 test_that("unambiguous pos_id won't be created (up)", {
-  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3, parents = 0)
+  pd <- create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = 3)
   new_id <- create_pos_ids(pd, 1L, by = 0.4, after = TRUE)
-  parents <- create_parent_id(pd)
 
   pd <- bind_rows(
-    create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id, parents = parents),
+    create_tokens("XZY_TEST", "test", pos_ids = new_id),
     pd
   )
   expect_error(create_pos_id(pd, 1L, by = 0.4, after = TRUE))