error: no match for operator<< in os << ((const Args*)a)->Args::getArgL()

Question

I am facing following error and I dont understand if there is a friend available for the operator << on argsMap why is it still cribbing? Can someone please help

Args.C: In function âstd::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, const Args&)â:
Args.C:166: error: no match for âoperator<<â in âos << ((const Args*)a)->Args::getArgL()â
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:108: note: candidates are: std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& (*)(std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>&)) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:117: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(std::basic_ios<_CharT, _Traits>& (*)(std::basic_ios<_CharT, _Traits>&)) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:127: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(std::ios_base& (*)(std::ios_base&)) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:165: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(long int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:169: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(long unsigned int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:173: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(bool) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/bits/ostream.tcc:91: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(short int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:180: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(short unsigned int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/bits/ostream.tcc:105: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:191: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(unsigned int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:200: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(long long int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:204: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(long long unsigned int) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:209: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(double) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:213: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(float) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:221: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(long double) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/ostream:225: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(const void*) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.4.6/../../../../include/c++/4.4.6/bits/ostream.tcc:119: note:                 std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>& std::basic_ostream<_CharT, _Traits>::operator<<(std::basic_streambuf<_CharT, _Traits>*) [with _CharT = char, _Traits = std::char_traits<char>]
Args.C:165: note:                 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, const Args&)
../../../../src/hp/lib/libcfa/Args.h:79: note:                 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, const ArgItem&)

Below is the code split in .h and .cpp files

typedef map<string,ArgItem,std::less<string>, std::allocator<string> >  argsMap;

class Args {
 const  argsMap &getArgL(void) const { return lArgItems ;  }
 friend ostream& operator<< ( ostream &os, const argsMap& am );
  friend ostream& operator<< ( ostream &os, const Args& a );

};

  ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const Args& a ){
         os<<a.getArgL();
         return os;
  }
  ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const argsMap& am ){
         for ( argIter2 i=am.begin() ; i != am.end() ; i++){
            os<<"-"<< (*i).first <<" " << (*i).second <<"\n";
         }
         return os;
  }

Answer 1

Try putting a forward declaration of ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const argsMap& am ) above ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const Args& a )

  ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const argsMap& am );
  // ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS

   ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const Args& a ){
         os<<a.getArgL();
         return os;
  }

  ostream& operator<< ( std::ostream &os, const argsMap& am ){
         for ( argIter2 i=am.begin() ; i != am.end() ; i++){
            os<<"-"<< (*i).first <<" " << (*i).second <<"\n";
         }
         return os;
  }