Optimized Wordpress "pre_get_posts" boilerplate

functions.php

<?php
// In your theme's functions.php file.

add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'alter_the_main_query' );

function alter_the_main_query( $wp_query ){
	if(is_admin() || !$wp_query->is_main_query()){
		// pre_get_posts is launched on ALL requests. So we get out early if this is a wp-admin url request or if this is not the main query.
		return;
	}
	// FOO's category archive
    if ($wp_query->is_category('foo-category-slug')){
    	// change number of posts to display
        $wp_query->set( 'posts_per_page', '10' );
        $wp_query->set( 'orderby', 'date' );
        $wp_query->set( 'order', 'DESC' );
    }
    
    // Front page, used in a front-page.php template
    if($wp_query->is_home()){

	$wp_query->set( 'posts_per_page', '3' );
        $wp_query->set( 'orderby', 'date' );
        $wp_query->set( 'order', 'DESC' );
		
	// exclude category 3
	$wp_query->set( 'cat', '-3');
	
	// Exclude sticky posts from main query
	$wp_query->set('post__not_in', get_option('sticky_posts'));
	
    }
}