[web2py] process args

[CtrlSoft]

how to process args early than my model?

i want to split a unicode string that are in request.args for example:
in view:
<a 
href="+URL('default','menu',args=[str(b.id)+"-"+str(b.title)])+">"+str(b.title)+"</a>

b.id = 15
b.title = "аыв ывташгытацуокц-"

in controller:
def menu():

    #return dict(row=db.menu[request.args[0].split('-')[0]])
    
     # here i want to split request.args[0]    # my url is looking like 
that "25-еннщшо ор зьлыв" 

    s = str(request.args[0].split('-')[0])
    return (s)

i tried in python IDE, and it is spliting but here...