Pluggable merge patterns for data access services

Provided are techniques for storing data. Invocation of a data access service is received, wherein the invocation identifies a data structure storing one or more data elements having a data format. An update handler to be plugged into a data access framework is identified, wherein the update handler processes data elements having the data format. Under control of the update handler, data elements are accessed in the data structure; one or more statements for storing the data elements into the data store are determined; and the one or more statements are forwarded to the data access framework.