What Seems to be the Problem With This LaTeX Code?

Question

I am working with Stata to create a balance table for some data using the balancetable ado package. While I believe the balancetable commands are working, the output LaTeX document won't run the table that it is trying to print. Given that I am still learning how to use LaTeX, any assistance with trying to see what the syntax issue is with this LaTeX code would be much appreciated. I'm getting issues related to the document name, typesetting and compiler issues.

\begin{tabular}{l*{3}c}
\hline\hline
 & (1) & (2) & (3) \\
\hline
agesq&677.315&717.395&40.079\\
&(428.784)&(431.252)&(41.341)\\
educ&10.088&10.346&0.257\\
&(1.614)&(2.011)&(0.172)\\
black&0.827&0.843&0.016\\
&(0.379)&(0.365)&(0.036)\\
hisp&0.108&0.059&-0.048*\\
&(0.311)&(0.237)&(0.027)\\
married&0.154&0.189&0.035\\
&(0.361)&(0.393)&(0.036)\\
nodegree&0.835&0.708&-0.127***\\
&(0.372)&(0.456)&(0.039)\\
mosinex&17.862&18.492&0.630\\
&(5.574)&(4.911)&(0.511)\\
re74&2.107&2.096&-0.011\\
&(5.688)&(4.887)&(0.516)\\
re75&1.267&1.532&0.265\\
&(3.103)&(3.219)&(0.303)\\
\hline
Observations & 260 & 185 & 445 \\
\hline\hline
\end{tabular}

```!LaTeX Error: Missing \begin{document}.

See the LaTeX manual or LaTeX Companion for explanation.
Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
 ...                                              
                                                  
l.1 \begin{tabular}
                   {l*{3}c}

?```

Answer 1

In LaTeX, there's some lines you should always have. \documentclass{article} (doesn't have to be the article format). Afterwards, there is the document environment where your tabular environment would be in. This would look like:

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{l*{3}c}
\hline\hline
        & (1)       & (2)       & (3) \\ \hline
agesq   & 677.315   & 717.395   & 40.079 \\
        & (428.784) & (431.252) & (41.341) \\
educ    & 10.088    & 10.346    & 0.257 \\
        & (1.614)   & (2.011)   & (0.172) \\
black   & 0.827     & 0.843     & 0.016 \\
        & (0.379)   & (0.365)   & (0.036) \\
hisp    & 0.108     & 0.059     & -0.048* \\
        & (0.311)   & (0.237)   & (0.027) \\
married & 0.154     & 0.189     & 0.035 \\
        & (0.361)   & (0.393)   & (0.036) \\
nodegree& 0.835     & 0.708     & -0.127*** \\
        & (0.372)   & (0.456)   & (0.039) \\
mosinex & 17.862    & 18.492    & 0.630 \\
        & (5.574)   & (4.911)   & (0.511) \\
re74    & 2.107     & 2.096     & -0.011 \\
        & (5.688)   & (4.887)   & (0.516) \\
re75    & 1.267     & 1.532     & 0.265 \\
        & (3.103)   & (3.219)   & (0.303) \\
\hline
Observations & 260 & 185 & 445 \\
\hline\hline
\end{tabular}

\end{document}

Indentations and spacing aren't required but they do make the document more understandable for the writer. Here's what this document generates: