I have similar feelings about Common Lisp development versus typical modern Java/C++ IDEs. I've often wondered what kept—is still keeping?—such functionality sequestered from the mainstream for so long, and the best I've come up with is "unfamiliar syntax scares people," which really isn't all that convincing.
The nice thing is, unlike with Forth (though perhaps Factor or similar offers this?), you can use modern iterations of these CL environments to do general-purpose development today, enjoying all the benefits of a richer toolset.
The nice thing is, unlike with Forth (though perhaps Factor or similar offers this?), you can use modern iterations of these CL environments to do general-purpose development today, enjoying all the benefits of a richer toolset.