19. A computer method of diagramming comprising computer implemented steps of: providing a diagram of a subject model, the subject model being semantic data and having model elements, and the diagram being a graphical representation of the semantic data and the diagram being formed of notational elements corresponding to the model elements of the subject model; in response to a primary edit to the subject model, generating a non-persistent view representative of the primary edit for secondary edits to the diagram, the non-persistent view being contained in an non-persistent container element that is associated with but detached from a persistent container element of the diagram; and upon a user viewing the diagram, displaying the diagram and the non-persistent view to the user as if the non-persistent view were a persistent part of the diagram by displaying both attributes of the persistent and non-persistent container elements of the diagram; wherein a notation meta-model persists the notational elements with references to the corresponding model elements, the notation meta-model allowing notational elements to be recreated and changed dynamically in a manner free of replacing original notational elements in the diagram by mapping from which persistent and non-persistent container elements to retrieve said attributes, and wherein mapping attributes of the non-persistent container element to the persistent container element transforms the non-persistent view into a persistent view persisting with the diagram.
19. A computer method of diagramming comprising computer implemented steps of: providing a diagram of a subject model, the subject model being semantic data and having model elements, and the diagram being a graphical representation of the semantic data and the diagram being formed of notational elements corresponding to the model elements of the subject model; in response to a primary edit to the subject model, generating a non-persistent view representative of the primary edit for secondary edits to the diagram, the non-persistent view being contained in an non-persistent container element that is associated with but detached from a persistent container element of the diagram; and upon a user viewing the diagram, displaying the diagram and the non-persistent view to the user as if the non-persistent view were a persistent part of the diagram by displaying both attributes of the persistent and non-persistent container elements of the diagram; wherein a notation meta-model persists the notational elements with references to the corresponding model elements, the notation meta-model allowing notational elements to be recreated and changed dynamically in a manner free of replacing original notational elements in the diagram by mapping from which persistent and non-persistent container elements to retrieve said attributes, and wherein mapping attributes of the non-persistent container element to the persistent container element transforms the non-persistent view into a persistent view persisting with the diagram. 21. A method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the step of: in response to a the user directly modifying the displayed non-persistent view, transforming the non-persistent view into a persistent view that persists with the diagram by assigning the attributes of the non-persistent container element to the persistent container element.