Frameworks typically set the [[control flow]] of a program and allow the user of the framework to "hook into" that flow by exposing various events.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://martinfowler.com/bliki/InversionOfControl.html|title=bliki: InversionOfControl|last=Fowler|first=Martin|website=martinfowler.com|access-date=2016-03-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Philip |first1=Bobby |title=Responsive framework |url=https://www.mediaup.de/ |access-date=19 August 2023}}</ref> This "[[inversion of control]]" design pattern is considered to be a defining principle of a framework, and benefits the code by enforcing a common flow for a team which everyone can customize in similar ways.<ref name=":0" /> For example, some popular "microframeworks" such as Ruby's [[Sinatra (software)|Sinatra]] (which inspired [[Express.js]]) allow for "middleware" hooks prior to and after HTTP requests. These middleware functions can be anything, and allow the user to define logging, authentication and session management, and redirecting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitalone.io/blog/successful-framework-philosophies/|title=Capital One Engineering – Philosophies that Shaped Successful Frameworks|last=Xue|first=Qiang|website=www.capitalone.io|access-date=2016-03-06}}</ref>
