In modeling diagrams, the contents of the semantic model are, by default, synchronized with the corresponding diagrams. This canonical behavior means that any changes that you make to the model are reflected in the diagrams and any changes you make in the diagrams are reflected in the model.
Canonical behavior occurs in specific elements in a UML model. You can disable the canonical mode for specific shape compartments, such as a state region and an activity partition. Canonical mode is always enabled for all list compartments and interaction diagrams and there is no option to disable this behavior.
When the canonical mode is disabled, changes that you make to the semantic model are not reflected in the diagram. This ability to disable the canonical behavior is useful when you are importing Rose models, which have no canonical reflection of semantic content.
Related tasks
Graphically representing models by using modeling diagrams
Creating modeling diagrams
Opening modeling diagrams
Deleting modeling diagrams from models
Modeling user workflow by using activity diagrams
Specifying the flow of control and data in activity diagrams
Grouping the behaviors in activities