Question

Internet Explorer only.

<input type="button" id="but" value="button2"/>
<textarea id="text" cols="40" rows="20"></textarea>

window.onload = function() {
  var el = document.getElementById("text");
  var but = document.getElementById("but");

  el.onbeforedeactivate = function() { alert('out') };
  but.onclick = function() { alert('click') };
}

When I click the button within the textarea (focus is on textarea), I expect both functions to trigger but its not happening.

Why?
Online Example

Answer 1

alert causes all sorts of trouble, esp. on IE but frankly on other browsers as well. I would avoid it.

Your example works fine if you don’t use alert, but instead use another way of showing the events have been received:

window.onload = function() {
  var el = document.getElementById("text");
  var but = document.getElementById("but");

  el.onbeforedeactivate = function() { display('out') };
  but.onclick = function() { display('click') };

  function display(msg) {
    var p = document.createElement('p');
    p.innerHTML = msg;
    document.body.appendChild(p);
  }
}

Updated fiddle

Tested on IE6, 7, and 8. With your original, I get the same result as you (just the “out” alert). With the update, I see both events do in fact occur.