A method implemented by a streaming manager hosted on a client device, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a file system object of a local file system of the client, the file system object represented by a placeholder, the placeholder being stored on the local file system, the client structured to obtain metadata of the file system object from the placeholder, the client structured to synchronize the local file system with a remote storage system, the metadata sufficient to allow the client, while offline with respect to the remote storage system, to obtain namespace information about the file system object from the placeholder, the placeholder including data that identifies the remote storage system from which data of the file system object is obtainable; receiving a request to access content of the file system object by an application; determining, based on the placeholder, whether the content resides on the local file system; if the content resides on the local file system, determining whether the content is up-to-date and, if so, providing the content from the local file system to the application; and if the content from the local file system is not up-to-date, downloading updated content from the remote storage system prior to providing the content to the application; if the content does not reside on the local file system, determining whether the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming or whether the application to which content is to be provided is not structured to access the content via streaming, wherein determining whether the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming comprises accessing a data structure stored on the local file system, the data structure having been created in conjunction with installing the application, the data structure indicating whether the application is structured to access the content via streaming; if the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming, performing actions, comprising: obtaining at least a portion of the file system object from the remote storage system, wherein the obtained portion includes at least the requested content, updating the placeholder to indicate that the content is available from the local file system, and providing the obtained content to the application; and if the application is not structured to access the content via streaming, ensuring that all of the content of the file system object is available from the local file system prior to providing the content to the application. receiving an indication of a file system object of a local file system of the client, the file system object represented by a placeholder, the placeholder being stored on the local file system, the client structured to obtain metadata of the file system object from the placeholder, the client structured to synchronize the local file system with a remote storage system, the metadata sufficient to allow the client, while offline with respect to the remote storage system, to obtain namespace information about the file system object from the placeholder, the placeholder including data that identifies the remote storage system from which data of the file system object is obtainable; receiving a request to access content of the file system object by an application; determining, based on the placeholder, whether the content resides on the local file system; if the content resides on the local file system, determining whether the content is up-to-date and, if so, providing the content from the local file system to the application; and if the content from the local file system is not up-to-date, downloading updated content from the remote storage system prior to providing the content to the application; if the content does not reside on the local file system, determining whether the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming or whether the application to which content is to be provided is not structured to access the content via streaming, wherein determining whether the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming comprises accessing a data structure stored on the local file system, the data structure having been created in conjunction with installing the application, the data structure indicating whether the application is structured to access the content via streaming; if the application to which the content is to be provided is structured to access the content via streaming, performing actions, comprising: obtaining at least a portion of the file system object from the remote storage system, wherein the obtained portion includes at least the requested content, updating the placeholder to indicate that the content is available from the local file system, and providing the obtained content to the application; and obtaining at least a portion of the file system object from the remote storage system, wherein the obtained portion includes at least the requested content, updating the placeholder to indicate that the content is available from the local file system, and providing the obtained content to the application; and if the application is not structured to access the content via streaming, ensuring that all of the content of the file system object is available from the local file system prior to providing the content to the application.