Abstract: A selective data capture method for software exception conditions in the operation of a data processing system includes steps for describing the pertinent data to collect before loss of control of the faulty program occurs. First the program preventively declares in a table all the data to capture in case of error (501). In a second stage, at the key points of the code, the pertinent sets of data in the table are activated (502). On the occurrence of an error (503), only the data previously declared and activated are collected (504) by the external code in charge of managing the error reporting to a maintenance subsystem (505). The invention is attached to the global data capture strategy, particularly to the Error Notification and Selective Dump processes.