C2664 cannot convert argument from 'initializer list' - c++

Question

I have the following code that I'm running on Visual Studio 2017. This code is a simple exercise to implement a linear search on an array.
The template is used because the function will be used to any type of array, char array, int array, etc.
#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
template <typename T>
int linearSearch(T* arr, int size, T varToSearch) {
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
if (arr[i] == varToSearch) return i;
}
return -1;
}
int main()
{
std::cout << linearSearch({ 'a','b','c','d' }, 4, 'd') << std::endl;
return 0;
}
I get the error of the title and after a long search I did not find the problem.
The microsoft page regarding the error, here, does not have relevant information to understand what is happening.
For me the function should work this way: I have the typename T, that will basically be an int or a char. Let's say it is a char.
When I'm passing {'a','b','c','d'} it will decay into a pointer and, as the type of T is char, I would have following:
int linearSearch(char* arr, int size, char varToSearch)
What for me should work normally.
EDIT
After reading the commentaries and giving a thought about the answers, this is what is happening if you are stuck on this problem also. Let's say you have this syntax in a function:
void exampleFunction(char *text){ \\whatever}
And when using the function you pass this:
exampleFunction({'a', 'b', 'c'}){ \\whatever}
If you are expecting {'a', 'b', 'c'} to decay into a pointer so that you can iterate with text[], it does not. With this syntax you will get an std::initializer_list, and not an array.
You could do the following:
char arr[] = {'a', 'b', 'c'};
exampleFunction(arr){ \\whatever};
This way arr will decay into a pointer.
Regarding the problem in my code, I preferred to use a std::vector.
template <typename T>
int linearSearch(std::vector<T> list, T varToSearch) {
for (typename std::vector<T>::iterator it = list.begin(); it != list.end(); it++) {
if (varToSearch == *it) return (it - list.begin());
}
return -1;
}

Answer 1

Because you can't create array this way. This thing { 'a','b','c','d' } called initializer list, but it doesn't supported operator overload. So this you have 2 solution:
First create array before you called function.
Or you can change function declaration to accepting std::vector by value,and send them initializer list this should works.
And sorry for my engilsh.

Answer 2

as others mentioned you can not do that. you can use the vectors but for some reason if you can't, you can try c arrays or perhaps a better alternative std::array instead.
#include <iostream>
#include <array>
template <typename T, size_t N>
int linearSearch(std::array<T, N> & arr, T varToSearch)
{
int i = 0;
for(auto& element : arr)//iterating through each element
{
if (element == varToSearch)
return i;
++i;
}
return -1;
}
int main()
{
std::array<char, 4> arr1 = {'a','b','c','d'};
std::cout << linearSearch(arr1,'d') << std::endl;
return 0;
}