There is no valid constructor to convert from (const float*) to DirectX::XMFLOAT4

Question

I'm following the "3D game programming with DirectX 11" book (Frank Luna) and i'm having this issue. There is no valid constructor to convert from (const float*) to DirectX::XMFLOAT4

namespace Colors {

    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 White = { 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Black = { 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Red = { 1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Green = { 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Blue = { 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Yellow = { 1.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Cyan = { 0.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Magenta = { 1.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f };

    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 Silver = { 0.75f, 0.75f, 0.75f, 1.0f };
    XMGLOBALCONST XMVECTORF32 LightSteelBlue = { 0.69f, 0.77f, 0.87f, 1.0f };
}

The error is here

Vertex vertices[] = {
    { XMFLOAT3(-1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::White },
    {XMFLOAT3(-1.0f, +1.0f, -1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Black },
    {XMFLOAT3(+1.0f, +1.0f, -1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Red },
    {XMFLOAT3(+1.0f, -1.0f, -1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Green},
    {XMFLOAT3(-1.0f, -1.0f, +1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Blue},
    {XMFLOAT3 (-1.0f, +1.0f, +1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Yellow},
    {XMFLOAT3 (+1.0f, +1.0f, +1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Cyan},
    {XMFLOAT3 (+1.0f, -1.0f, +1.0f), (const float*)&Colors::Magenta}
};

and this is the struct Vertex

struct Vertex {
        XMFLOAT3 Pos; XMFLOAT4 Color;
    };

Answer 1

XMFLOAT4 only has a constructor taking a const float* when the compiler is compiling the file as C++. If the constructor isn't visible, the TU being compiled when the error is generated may not be compiled as C++.

It's also possible you have a version of the header where the constructor is marked explicit, which means you'll need to explicitly specify that you are invoking it: XMVECTOR4((const float*)&Colors::Red) for example.

Without further information it's really impossible to say more.