Exclusivebeta
Balance Sheet — <mv-balance-sheet>
Structured two-column decision balance (pros and cons, build vs buy, hire or not, vendor selection, a move) laid out as a ledger where points face each other. Each point is a short editable line with a 1–5 weight set on a native range drawn as five pips (keyboard, drag or click) and an optional confidence (certain, likely, unsure) that scales it. Any point can be answered by a point from the other column through an “Answer with…” menu (pick an unpaired point or write a new one): the pair moves onto the same row, is joined by a lettered connector across the gutter, and both points are partly offset (the offset attribute, 50% of the smaller score by default), so answered noise leaves the totals and what is still open weighs truer. Concerns nobody has answered are highlighted as the real open questions, gathered under a “Not yet answered” divider, and counted in a plain verdict line (“Leaning yes · 17.6 vs 11.9 · 3 unanswered concerns”) whose count jumps from one open concern to the next. A beam on a fulcrum tilts with a spring toward the heavier side (a static angle under reduced motion). Several options can be weighed one sheet per tab, each tab showing its net, plus a Compare tab that ranks them in a table with diverging net bars and a “Best balance” mark. Exports Markdown (clipboard) and JSON (download) through a cancelable mv-export, can persist to localStorage, and is form-associated: the JSON value includes each option's results, required and require-answers (every concern answered) drive validity. mv-change reports every edit, mv-verdict fires when the lean flips side, and mv-remove and mv-pair are cancelable.
| Category | Forms |
|---|---|
| Type | Web Component (<mv-balance-sheet>) |
| Status | beta |
| Also installs | button |
| Keywords | exclusive, culture, decision, pros-and-cons, decision-matrix, trade-off, weighted, comparison, vendor-selection, build-vs-buy, risk, verdict, ledger, scale, balance, form, export, markdown, json, adr |
When to use
- A team must decide yes or no on a proposal (a 4-day week, a rewrite, a hire) and wants the reasoning written down and weighed
- Several vendors, tools or offers must be compared on strengths and risks before one is picked
- Every concern raised in a review should be explicitly answered or left visibly open before a decision is submitted
- A decision record needs to be exported to a doc, ticket or ADR as Markdown or stored as structured JSON
Avoid when
- The user is picking one of a few ready-made options (plans, shipping) and needs quick help, not a written argument → use Lifelines instead
- Options should be compared on computed numbers from the same inputs (price, rate, term) rather than on arguments → use Fork instead
- The goal is to find a product in a large catalog by answering questions → use Narrow Down instead
Install
node scripts/add.mjs balance-sheet --out ./src/marvelousAI agent with the Marvelous UI MCP server: install_components({ slugs: ["balance-sheet"], target_dir: "<absolute path>/src/marvelous", framework: "react" }).
Files copied (dependencies included): tokens/tokens.css, core/base.css, core/dismiss.js, core/dom.js, core/element.js, core/focus.js, core/form.js, core/motion.js, core/position.js, components/balance-sheet/balance-sheet.js, components/balance-sheet/balance-sheet.css, components/button/button.css.
Usage
Canonical markup — start from it and customize with attributes, data-* and CSS variables:
<div id="bs-demo" style="width:min(100%,74rem);margin-inline:auto">
<style>
#bs-demo { display:grid; gap:1.5rem; align-content:start }
#bs-demo .bs-layout { display:grid; grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 15.5rem; gap:1.25rem; align-items:start }
#bs-demo .bs-intro { display:flex; align-items:flex-end; justify-content:space-between; gap:.5rem 1rem; flex-wrap:wrap; margin-bottom:.75rem }
#bs-demo .bs-intro h3 { margin:0; font-size:1rem; letter-spacing:-.01em }
#bs-demo .bs-intro p { margin:.1875rem 0 0; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.8125rem }
#bs-demo .bs-side { position:sticky; top:1rem; display:grid; gap:.875rem; padding:1rem; border:1px solid var(--mv-border); border-radius:var(--mv-radius-xl); background:var(--mv-surface-raised); box-shadow:var(--mv-shadow-sm); font-size:.8125rem }
#bs-demo .bs-side h4 { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.5rem; margin:0; font-size:.8125rem; font-weight:600 }
#bs-demo .bs-side p { margin:0; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem; line-height:1.45 }
#bs-demo .bs-side .mv-choice { font-size:.8125rem }
#bs-demo .bs-sep { height:1px; background:var(--mv-border) }
#bs-demo .bs-log { display:grid; gap:.3125rem; margin:0; padding:0; list-style:none; font:.6875rem/1.45 var(--mv-font-mono); color:var(--mv-fg-muted) }
#bs-demo .bs-log li { overflow:hidden; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap }
#bs-demo .bs-log b { color:var(--mv-fg); font-weight:500 }
#bs-demo .bs-form { display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:space-between; gap:.75rem; flex-wrap:wrap; margin-top:.75rem; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem }
#bs-demo .bs-hint { margin:0; color:var(--mv-fg-muted); font-size:.75rem; text-align:center }
@media (max-width:56rem) {
#bs-demo .bs-layout { grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) }
#bs-demo .bs-side { position:static }
}
</style>
<div class="bs-layout">
<section aria-labelledby="bs-week-title">
<div class="bs-intro">
<div>
<h3 id="bs-week-title">Leadership offsite · People & Ops</h3>
<p>Decision due Friday, October 16 · Product team of 14 across Lisbon, Toronto and Singapore</p>
</div>
<span class="mv-badge" data-variant="outline" id="bs-verdict-badge">Leaning yes</span>
</div>
<form id="bs-week-form">
<mv-balance-sheet id="bs-week" name="four-day-week" confidence require-answers
question="Move the product team to a 4-day week?">
<ul>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="5" data-id="retention">Two engineers cited burnout in exit interviews this year; replacing each costs about $48,000</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="5" data-confidence="likely" data-id="pilot">Lisbon pilot (Q2): shipped output flat, sick days down 30%</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="3" data-id="stagger">Staggered days off (Mon or Fri) keep five-day coverage</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="4" data-confidence="likely" data-id="hiring">4-day roles draw roughly 3× more applicants in our markets</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="4" data-id="meetings">Forces us to cut recurring meetings (11 h per person per week today)</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="3" data-confidence="unsure" data-id="raise">Cheaper than the 8% raise the team asked for in the spring</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="3" data-confidence="likely" data-pair="pilot" data-id="cadence">Release cadence could slip during the transition quarter</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="4" data-pair="stagger" data-id="support">Customer support needs full coverage on Fridays</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="4" data-id="sla">Two enterprise contracts promise a 5-business-day response SLA</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="2" data-id="payroll">Payroll and time-off policies must be rewritten in 3 countries</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="3" data-confidence="likely" data-id="reverse">Hard to walk back once it is announced</li>
</ul>
</mv-balance-sheet>
<div class="bs-form">
<span id="bs-form-status" role="status">Every concern must be answered before this can be submitted.</span>
<button class="mv-button" data-size="sm" type="submit">Submit decision</button>
</div>
</form>
</section>
<aside class="bs-side" aria-label="Demo controls">
<h4>Options</h4>
<label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="bs-conf" checked> Confidence per point</label>
<label class="mv-choice"><input type="checkbox" role="switch" class="mv-switch" id="bs-ro"> Read-only record</label>
<div class="bs-sep"></div>
<h4>Try it</h4>
<p>Answer “Hard to walk back” with a new point, or drag a weight: the beam tilts and the verdict line follows.</p>
<button class="mv-button" data-variant="outline" data-size="sm" type="button" id="bs-answer">Answer the SLA concern</button>
<button class="mv-button" data-variant="secondary" data-size="sm" type="button" id="bs-reset">Reset the sheet</button>
<div class="bs-sep"></div>
<h4>Events</h4>
<ol class="bs-log" id="bs-log"><li>—</li></ol>
</aside>
</div>
<!-- Variant: several options in tabs, compared in a summary table -->
<section aria-labelledby="bs-vendor-title">
<div class="bs-intro">
<div>
<h3 id="bs-vendor-title">Vendor review · Platform team</h3>
<p>Three candidates for error monitoring, weighed option by option. Budget: $1,800 / month.</p>
</div>
</div>
<mv-balance-sheet id="bs-vendor" selected="compare" for-label="Strengths" against-label="Risks" for-verdict="in favor" against-verdict="against"
question="Which error-monitoring vendor should we adopt?">
<ul data-option="Lumen Metrics" data-option-id="lumen">
<li data-side="for" data-weight="5" data-id="l1">Source maps and release tracking work out of the box</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="4" data-id="l2">EU data residency (Frankfurt) covers our GDPR review</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="3" data-id="l3">Annual plan at $1,450 / month for 20 seats</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="3" data-pair="l3" data-id="l4">Event overage billed at $0.00028 per event</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="2" data-id="l5">No on-prem option if a customer demands one</li>
</ul>
<ul data-option="Tessera Cloud" data-option-id="tessera">
<li data-side="for" data-weight="4" data-id="t1">Already used by the mobile team; one contract</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="3" data-id="t2">Best session replay of the three</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="5" data-id="t3">US-only hosting blocks two EU customers</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="4" data-pair="t1" data-id="t4">Seat price rises to $95 at renewal</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="3" data-id="t5">SAML only on the Enterprise tier</li>
</ul>
<ul data-option="Self-hosted stack" data-option-id="self">
<li data-side="for" data-weight="4" data-id="s1">No per-event cost, data never leaves our cloud</li>
<li data-side="for" data-weight="2" data-id="s2">Full control over retention (400 days)</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="5" data-pair="s1" data-id="s3">About 0.5 FTE of on-call and upgrades</li>
<li data-side="against" data-weight="4" data-id="s4">Alerting and dashboards to build ourselves</li>
</ul>
</mv-balance-sheet>
</section>
<p class="bs-hint">Open a vendor tab to edit its sheet · the Compare tab ranks the options by net balance · Copy Markdown exports the whole review</p>
<script type="module">
await customElements.whenDefined("mv-balance-sheet");
const $ = (id) => document.getElementById(id);
const sheet = $("bs-week");
const log = $("bs-log");
const badge = $("bs-verdict-badge");
const write = (html) => {
if (log.firstElementChild?.textContent === "—") log.replaceChildren();
const li = document.createElement("li");
li.append(...html);
log.prepend(li);
while (log.children.length > 6) log.lastElementChild.remove();
};
const b = (t) => { const el = document.createElement("b"); el.textContent = t; return el; };
const paintBadge = () => {
const r = sheet.verdict;
badge.textContent = r.verdict.split(" · ")[0];
badge.dataset.variant = r.lean === "for" ? "success" : r.lean === "against" ? "danger" : "secondary";
};
paintBadge();
sheet.addEventListener("mv-change", (e) => {
const { reason, results } = e.detail;
write([b("mv-change "), `${reason} · net ${results[0].net > 0 ? "+" : ""}${results[0].net}`]);
paintBadge();
});
sheet.addEventListener("mv-verdict", (e) => {
write([b("mv-verdict "), `${e.detail.previous} → ${e.detail.lean}`]);
paintBadge();
});
sheet.addEventListener("mv-export", (e) => write([b("mv-export "), e.detail.format]));
$("bs-conf").addEventListener("change", (e) => { sheet.confidence = e.target.checked; paintBadge(); });
$("bs-ro").addEventListener("change", (e) => { sheet.readonly = e.target.checked; });
$("bs-answer").addEventListener("click", () => {
const id = sheet.addItem("for", "Keep a rotating Friday responder for enterprise tickets", { weight: 4, answers: "sla" });
if (id) $("bs-answer").disabled = true;
});
const initial = sheet.value;
$("bs-reset").addEventListener("click", () => { sheet.value = initial; $("bs-answer").disabled = false; paintBadge(); write([b("reset")]); });
const form = $("bs-week-form");
const status = $("bs-form-status");
form.addEventListener("submit", (e) => {
e.preventDefault();
const data = JSON.parse(new FormData(form).get("four-day-week"));
status.textContent = `Submitted: ${data.results[0].verdict}.`;
});
form.addEventListener("invalid", () => { status.textContent = sheet.validationMessage; }, true);
$("bs-vendor").addEventListener("mv-verdict", (e) => write([b("mv-verdict "), `${e.detail.label}: ${e.detail.lean}`]));
</script>
</div>Cultural reference
Robinson Crusoe — Daniel Defoe (1719, book). Stranded on his island, Crusoe writes his situation down “like debtor and creditor” in two columns, each evil faced by a good, to judge his condition soberly instead of despairing. The UI turns this into a ledger for decisions: points are weighed in two columns, each argument can be answered by a counterpoint on the same row that partly offsets it, and the concerns left without an answer stand out as the real open questions while a beam and a plain verdict line show where the balance falls.
API
Attributes
| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
question | string | The decision being weighed, shown as the sheet's heading and used for the export file name. Also stored in the value. | |
for-label / against-label | string | For / Against | Column headings and pan labels (e.g. Pros / Cons, Strengths / Risks, Build / Buy). |
for-verdict / against-verdict | string | yes / no | Words used in the verdict line: “Leaning {word}”, “Clearly {word}”. |
confidence | boolean | Shows a confidence select on every point (Certain ×1, Likely ×0.75, Unsure ×0.5); a point's score is weight × confidence. Unsure pips are hatched, likely pips lighter. | |
offset | number (0..1) | 0.5 | Share of the smaller score that a pair removes from both of its points. 0 = pairing is purely a link; 1 = the smaller point is fully cancelled. Pairing alone never flips the lean; it sharpens the margin. |
tilt | number (deg) | 10 | Maximum beam angle, reached when one side outweighs the other by about 2 to 1. |
multiple | boolean | Shows the option tabs and the Add option button even with a single option. Tabs appear on their own as soon as there are two options. | |
selected | option id | "compare" | Option shown on first render (or the Compare view). Changing the attribute switches tabs. | |
readonly | boolean | Decision record mode: nothing can be edited, added, paired or removed; pairs and verdict stay visible and exports still work. | |
persist | string | localStorage key suffix (mv-balance-sheet:{persist}). The sheet is saved on every change and restored on load before the markup (a value property set by the app wins). clearSaved() forgets it. | |
name / required / disabled | form | Form association: the submitted value is JSON ({ question, options, results }). required = at least one point. | |
require-answers | boolean | The field is invalid while any concern is unanswered (“Answer every concern before submitting (3 open).”), anchored on the first open concern's Answer button. | |
hide-export | boolean | Hides the Copy Markdown / Export JSON buttons (the methods still work). | |
heading-level | 1..6 | 3 | aria-level of the question heading; column headings use the next level. |
locale | BCP 47 | en-US | Number formatting of totals and nets. |
data-side / data-weight / data-confidence / data-id / data-pair | markup | Initial points as <li data-side="for|against"> inside a <ul> child (or directly as children), read once then replaced. data-pair (alias data-answers) names the id of the point it faces. Wrap each option's points in <ul data-option="Label" data-option-id="id">. A <script type="application/json"> child with a value is also accepted. | |
data-lean / data-readonly | set by the component | On the host: for | against | even for the option on screen (empty in the Compare view), and data-readonly while editing is locked. |
Properties
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
value | { question, options: [{ id, label, items: [{ id, side, text, weight, confidence, pair }] }] } | The whole sheet. Accepts the same shape, { items } for a single option, an array of options or a JSON string; pairs are made symmetric and one-to-one. Setting it emits no event. |
results | Array<{ id, label, for, against, net, ratio, lean, strength, pairs, unanswered: { for, against }, scores, count, verdict }> | Weighed result of every option (read-only). lean: for | against | even; strength: clear | leaning | even | empty; pairs carry their letter and offset; scores are the effective score of each point. |
verdict | result | Result of the option on screen, with its verdict sentence (read-only). |
selectedOption | string | Id of the option on screen, or "compare" (read-only; use select()). |
strings | Partial<Record<string, string>> | Overrides for every visible text and announcement (forLabel, againstLabel, forVerdict, againstVerdict, addFor, addAgainst, answer, answerLabel, pairedLabel, unanswered, verdictLeaning, verdictClear, verdictEven, concernsOne, concernsOther, concernsNone, divider, menuTitle, menuNew, menuUnpair, compare, best, copyMarkdown, exportJSON, announceFlip, requireAnswers…). English defaults. |
question / forLabel / againstLabel / confidence / offset / tilt / readonly / persist … | reflected | Mirror the attributes. |
Methods
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
addItem(side, text, { weight?, confidence?, answers?, option?, id? }) | Adds a point (weight 3 by default) and returns its id; answers pairs it with an existing point of the other side. Emits mv-change (reason "add"). |
removeItem(id, { option? }) | Removes a point (cancelable mv-remove). Returns false if refused. |
pair(a, b, { option? }) / unpair(id, { option? }) | Pairs two points of opposite sides (replacing their previous pairs) or breaks a pair. Cancelable through mv-pair. |
addOption(label?) / removeOption(id) / select(id | "compare") | Manages option sheets and switches tabs. removeOption keeps at least one option and emits a cancelable mv-remove with kind "option". |
toMarkdown() / toJSON() | The decision as Markdown (question, verdict, both columns with weights, answers and unanswered concerns, compare table) or as { question, options, results }. |
copyMarkdown() / downloadJSON() | Same as the footer buttons: clipboard (file fallback) and .json download named after the question. Return Promise<boolean>. |
clearSaved() | Forgets the persisted copy. |
Events
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
mv-change | After every edit. detail: { reason: "add" | "remove" | "edit" | "weight" | "confidence" | "pair" | "unpair" | "option-add" | "option-remove" | "option-rename", value, results (summaries), item, option }. Text edits are reported on commit (blur), not per keystroke. |
mv-verdict | The lean of an option flipped side (for, against or even) after a user action. detail: { option, label, lean, previous, strength, for, against, net, unanswered, verdict }. |
mv-remove | Cancelable, before a point or an option is removed. detail: { kind: "item" | "option", item?, option, label? }. |
mv-pair | Cancelable, before two points are paired or unpaired. detail: { action: "pair" | "unpair", for, against, option }. |
mv-export | Cancelable, before Copy Markdown or Export JSON. detail: { format: "markdown" | "json", text, filename }. preventDefault() to send the text somewhere else (a ticket, an ADR, your API). |
Content structure
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
(content) | Initial data only (<ul>/<li data-side> or a JSON <script>); it is read once and replaced by the sheet. |
CSS classes
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
mv-balance-sheet-head / -question / -scale / -verdict | Head: question heading, the decorative scale (-beam, -arm, -hang[data-side], -cord, -pan, -pan-total, -fulcrum, -pivot, --_tilt) and the verdict line (-lean[data-lean][data-strength], -score, -open). |
mv-balance-sheet-grid / -col / -list / -gutter / -link / -divider | Ledger: three columns sharing rows through subgrid; -link (with -link-badge and -link-offset) joins each pair across the gutter; -divider heads the unanswered rows. Stacks under 38rem of container width. |
mv-balance-sheet-item | A point: data-side, data-paired or data-open, data-hot (hovered or focused with its partner), data-confidence. Parts: -text (textarea), -remove, -weight (-pips, -range), -conf, -tag, -pair (data-letter). |
mv-balance-sheet-add / -answering | Add field under each column and the “Answering …” chip shown while a new point is written as an answer. |
mv-balance-sheet-tabs / -tab / -tab-net / -compare / -table | Option tabs with their net badge, and the Compare view table (-net-bar, -best, -mini-beam). |
mv-balance-sheet-menu | The “Answer with…” menu (Popover API, role="menu"). |
mv-balance-sheet-foot / -note / -export | Footer with the scoring note and export buttons. |
CSS variables
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--mv-balance-sheet-for | var(--mv-success) | Color of the first column, its pan and pips. |
--mv-balance-sheet-against | var(--mv-danger) | Color of the second column, its pan and pips. |
--mv-balance-sheet-open | var(--mv-warning) | Unanswered concerns: edge, tag and verdict count. |
--mv-balance-sheet-link | var(--mv-accent) | Pair connectors, letters and the answering chip. |
--mv-balance-sheet-gutter | 3.5rem | Width of the gutter where pairs meet. |
Accessibility
Each column is a real list (role="list") labelled by its heading (role="heading" with a configurable aria-level, one level below the question), and the heading reads its weighted total (“For, weighted total 17.6”). Every point is made of native controls: a textarea named “Point, For” (Enter moves to the next point, Backspace on an empty point removes it), a Remove button naming the point, a native range labelled “Weight” with aria-valuetext (“4 of 5, major”) driven by arrow keys, Home and End, and a native select for confidence. Pairing never needs dragging: the “Answer” button (aria-haspopup="menu", aria-expanded) names what it answers and opens a menu of the other column's unpaired points plus “Write a new point” and “Unpair”; arrow keys, Home and End move inside it, Escape or Tab closes it and returns focus to the button. A paired button reads “Answered by “…”, pair B”. Writing a new answer shows a visible “Answering …” chip and renames the add field accordingly; Escape cancels it. The beam, pans, gutter connectors and divider are aria-hidden: everything they show is also in text (column totals, the pair letter on both points, the “Unanswered” tag, the verdict line). The verdict line is plain text, and its concern count is a button that moves focus to the next unanswered concern. A polite live region announces additions, removals and pairings; an assertive one announces only when the verdict flips side (“Verdict changed. Leaning no · 12 vs 14.5 · 2 unanswered concerns.”). Tabs follow the tabs pattern (roving tabindex, arrow keys, automatic activation, tabpanel labelled by its tab, each tab named with its verdict); the Compare view is a real table with a caption, column and row headers. Hover or focus on a point highlights its partner. Colors always come with signs and words (+ / −, “Unanswered”, letters, numbers). Reduced motion (OS or data-motion="reduce"): the beam sits at its angle without a spring, rows do not glide when pairs form, the focus pulse becomes a static outline. Forced colors: pips, beam and connectors use CanvasText, unanswered concerns get a dashed border.