staffbuttons+="<div class='buttonred' onclick=\"call("+this+",'"+staffinfo[k]["extension"]+"')\" style='background-color:darkblue;border-color: #eaeaff;' >call</div>"

//then i set the innerHTML of some other element

//and here is the call() function:

function call(callbutton,extension){
   callbutton.value="xfer"
   alert("callbutton is "+callbutton)
   callbutton.style.backgroundColor="pink"
   callbutton.setAttribute("onClick()","transfer("+callbutton+",'"+extension+"'")
	
}

//but the alert box shows it has no value