Bridge

In the Shlaer-Mellor software analysis method, a bridge describes the relationships between two independently modelled problem domains. For example, the abstract concept of a menu of selectable options in a user interface has counterparts in concrete graphical user interface elements such as pop-up menus and drop-down lists. The detailed description of the relationship between the abstract concept and its concrete renderings is the bridge. In the CISNA model of accessible adaptive hypermedia, bridges connect adjacent layers (Inventory to Semantics, Semantics to Navigation) without creating dependencies between them, allowing each layer to be modelled and modified independently. This separation is important for accessibility because it allows the same semantic content to be mapped to different navigational structures or presentation formats for different user needs.