Convention for remapping layer's key bindings?

[arnm]

I prefer jkl; to hjkl and would like to apply this as much as possible across all layers. It is easy enough to remap the evil motion keys in dotspacemacs/config but I don't know if it's that simple for bindings specified in other layers.

I specifically want to override the gh gj gk gl in the org layer right now but I do see myself needing to remap other bindings specified in other layers.

So my questions are:

1. How can I go about remapping those org layer commands?
2. Is there a common way to remap keybindings specified in layers?

P.S I'm new to spacemacs...I see there are a lot of conventions and was wondering if there was one for remapping bindings specified in layers.

[arnm]

I was able to remap the org-mode bindings but I had to look though evil-org code instead of just the org layer. I guess question 2 depends on the layer itself...

(evil-define-key 'normal evil-org-mode-map
    "gj" 'outline-up-heading
    "gk" 'org-forward-heading-same-level
    "gl" 'org-backward-heading-same-level
    "g;" 'outline-next-visible-heading)

[syl20bnr]

Look at key translation, for instance:

(define-key key-translation-map (kbd ";") (kbd "l"))

[arnm]

Haven't looked too into to much yet but as of now the key translation works but it also takes effect in insert mode which is not desired.

Is there an equivalent to vim's noremap for example in emacs?

[syl20bnr]

Try:

(evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd ";") (kbd "l"))

This should work only in normal state, rince and repeat for other states :-)

[arnm]

hmm I see what you are trying to do but it doesn't seem to work for me :(

  ;; remappings
  (evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd "j") (kbd "h"))
  (evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd "k") (kbd "j"))
  (evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd "l") (kbd "k"))
  (evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd ";") (kbd "l"))

[mmlac-bv]

I tried this and I get the following error:

Wrong type argument: symbolp, (evil-define-key (quote normal) key-translation-map (kbd r) (kbd h))

when adding this to the end of (defun dotspacemacs/init ()

(evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd "r") (kbd "h"))

Any ideas why this is happening?
emacs 24.5.1 on mac, latest spacemacs

If I add it to the (defun dotspacemacs/config ()

(evil-define-key 'normal key-translation-map (kbd "σ") (kbd "h"))

it just says σ is undefined

[nugend]

I'm trying to add the following binding:

(evil-define-key 'normal evil-org-mode-map
  "C-o" 'org-insert-heading-after-current
  "C-O" 'org-insert-heading
  )

Doesn't seem to work. Also tried using (with-eval-after-load 'org-mode ...) to make sure it ran after any other bindings were defined. That didn't work either.

[jason]

This works under user-configuration. If you're wondering, these are keybindings for the Workman keyboard.

(define-key evil-normal-state-map "h" 'evil-yank)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "n" 'evil-next-line)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "e" 'evil-previous-line)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "o" 'forward-char)

(define-key evil-normal-state-map "k" 'evil-forward-WORD-end)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "l" 'evil-open-below)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "L" 'evil-open-above)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "j" 'evil-search-forward)
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "H" 'evil-yank-line)

[ghost]

Before using Spacemacs (i.e. just using Evil), I used the following with some success:

;; Modify evil-mode keybindings from hjkl motion to jkl;
(define-key evil-normal-state-map "H" 'evil-join)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map "j" 'evil-backward-char)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map "J" 'evil-window-top)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map "k" 'evil-next-line)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map "l" 'evil-previous-line)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map ";" 'evil-forward-char)
;; (define-key evil-motion-state-map ":" 'evil-window-bottom)
(define-key evil-motion-state-map "h" 'evil-repeat-find-char)
(define-key evil-window-map "j" 'evil-window-left)
(define-key evil-window-map "J" 'evil-window-move-far-left)
(define-key evil-window-map "k" 'evil-window-down)
(define-key evil-window-map "K" 'evil-window-move-very-bottom)
(define-key evil-window-map "l" 'evil-window-up)
(define-key evil-window-map "L" 'evil-window-move-very-top)
(define-key evil-window-map ";" 'evil-window-right)
;; (define-key evil-window-map ":" 'evil-window-move-far-right)

Seems to work alright in Spacemacs, and probably goes some way towards satisfying the OP's desires.

Ideally, I think that the option to use jkl; instead of hjkl would be provided via some kind of Spacemacs layer, or Emacs mode, rather than simply by pasting the code above into the .spacemacs file, but I don't yet grok Spacemacs well enough to know which of those two approaches would be most appropriate, nor how to build a suitable layer or mode. I would be very grateful to anyone else who does, though!

[syl20bnr]

We could leverage the new keyboard-layout layer in develop branch.

[ghost]

[YayC]

To make some evil-org keybinding overrides, I had to use with-eval-after-load and plain define-key (not evil-define-key):

(with-eval-after-load 'evil-org
    (define-key evil-org-mode-map (kbd "<insert-state> M-t") #'my-insert-sub-todo)
    (define-key evil-org-mode-map (kbd "<normal-state> M-t") #'my-insert-sub-todo))

Strangely, remapping T works without any of that:

(evil-define-key 'normal evil-org-mode-map "T" #'my-insert-todo)

Which I don't understand, even after a quick look at https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs/blob/a298a5a311dfe8b449b5f538740303f1ab3d5695/layers/org/extensions/evil-org/evil-org.el

Both are in the body of dotspacemacs/user-config in my .spacemacs file

[LeMikaelF]

@arnm This is an old post, but I spent hours trying to get this to work. The solution is:

(evil-define-key 'normal global-map (kbd "j") (kbd "h"))

(cross-posted from my answer on Stackoverflow)

[duianto]

@LeMikaelF Thanks for posting a solution.

A note about github comments, you can edit one of your comments or even delete it (for example the duplicate without the stackoverflow link), by clicking on the three dots ... in the top right corner of your comment. That opens a menu where you can choose an action.

[LeMikaelF]

@duianto Oops! Thanks for pointing that out, my mistake.

[mfierro0]

@LeMikaelF Thanks for posting! Probably saved me a few hours too :)

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