# How Do I Change Values on an Existing Business Entity Instance?

There are really three steps:

- Ask the existing entity for its DTO.
- Change the appropriate values on the DTO.
- Call setDTO() on the entity instance.

      					Person_DTO dto = person.getDTO();
      					dto.setAddress1("invalid value");
      					person.setDTO(dto);

Necessary Change Handlers will fire to validate the change to this "person" object as well as other cascading events as specified in the entity's change handlers.

Parent topic: Business Entity Background