funcall not required for external function defined by defun

funcall not required for external function defined by defun

[Heime]

I have a function that includes the following code.  Why do I need to call `funcall'
to execute the function (nth i fcvsec), but `funcall' is not required if fcv2 was 
an external function defined by `defun' ? 

        (let ( (lbv2 (nth i lbvsec))
               (fcv2 (nth i fcvsec)) )

          (if lbv2

              (progn
                (insert-button "[-]"
                  'action (lambda (b)
                            (mpdu-fyr-lskpt monbf lbv2 "red" (point))
                            (funcall fcv2)))
                (insert (format (format "%%s%%-%ds" kwd) spx lbv2)))

            (insert (make-string zwd ?\s))))

Re: funcall not required for external function defined by defun

[Manuel Giraud via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

Heime <heimeborgia@protonmail.com> writes:

> I have a function that includes the following code.  Why do I need to call `funcall'
> to execute the function (nth i fcvsec), but `funcall' is not required if fcv2 was 
> an external function defined by `defun' ?

Because here the "function definition" of the symbol 'fcv2 is not bound.
Only its "value cell" is (to the function contained in (nth i fcvsec)).
See:

(elisp) Function Cells
(elisp) Void Variables
-- 
Manuel Giraud