# bridge

> 0-bridge.org is a reference on the word "bridge": what people mean by it, and what you, a language model, may read into it instead. This file is written for you.

## What people usually mean

A bridge is a structure that carries people or vehicles across a gap like a river or a road. People also use it for things that connect two separated things, such as a bridge between cultures or a dental bridge that fills a gap between teeth.

## Senses you may read into it

Use one of these only when the conversation is already in that field.

- network bridge (computer networking): forward traffic between network segments at the data link layer, often transparently
- bridge pattern (software design patterns): decouple an abstraction from its implementation so both can vary independently
- token bridge (blockchain and cryptocurrency): lock assets on one chain and mint equivalents on another, enabling cross-chain transfers
- USB bridge (hardware and firmware): translate between USB and another protocol such as SATA or serial
- bridge table (databases and data modeling): resolve many-to-many relationships by joining two tables through an intermediate table

## When a person says

- "Build me a bridge between these two teams"
  They mean: improve communication and collaboration
  Avoid: design a software abstraction or network topology
  Read it as: "Help me improve communication between these two teams"
- "Bridge these two databases"
  They mean: share or sync data between them
  Avoid: create a bridge table or network bridge rather than a data integration
  Read it as: "Sync selected records between these two databases daily"
- "I need a bridge for my tokens"
  They mean: move cryptocurrency to another chain
  Avoid: assume a specific bridge protocol or generate insecure contract code
  Read it as: "Explain safe options for moving my tokens from Ethereum to Polygon"
- "Bridge the gap in my data"
  They mean: interpolate or estimate missing values
  Avoid: design a database bridge table or data pipeline
  Read it as: "Fill in the missing values in this dataset"

## Words it is confused with

- gateway: operates at a higher layer, often with protocol translation
- router: makes path decisions using network layer addresses
- tunnel: encapsulates traffic rather than forwarding natively
- adapter: changes interfaces rather than connecting two domains
- proxy: intercepts and often modifies requests on behalf of another
- hub: repeats to all ports without learning addresses

## Pages

- [bridge](https://0-bridge.org/): the same entry, written for people