How do I override a key binding defined by `evil-mode`?

Question

I've searched for this before but I've only seen questions like the below:

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/683425/globally-override-key-binding-in-emacs
• How to override major mode bindings

I don't have an understanding of what a major / minor mode really is (which both questions reference) (or whether it's relevant).

---

I'm trying to redefine the - key when I'm editing any file. It's currently defined by the evil-mode package in:

evil-maps.el:

243:(define-key evil-motion-state-map "-" 'evil-previous-line-first-non-blank)

How would I go about redefining this to instead run a other function? What are my options - and their implications?

I've managed to what I assume redefines the key binding by adding the following to my .spacemacs user-config:

  (define-key evil-motion-state-map "-" 'deer)

Which works, but it feels a bit hacky / cumbersome in case it ever conflicts with a future key binding with another package.

Answer 1

You might want to take a look at the General.el, which, as far as I know, was designed to work coherently with evil. Here are the examples for evil bindings.

This is what might be relevant for you in terms of specifying both evil state and emacs major mode:

(general-define-key
 :states ''motion
 :keymaps 'emacs-lisp-mode-map
 "-" 'deer)